Audience and Institution Practice Essay

           Question 1:  Assess the importance of marketing in the media area you have studied.

   

     Marketing is very important to make a successful film. When making a film, marketing is needed to attract viewers and showcase what is coming out. The more effective the marketing strategies the more likely that the film will get viewers. The failure or success of marketing strategies has a large impact on how well the movie does.

    Film companies use many different approaches to help promote their products. Having a good marketing strategy makes people more likely to watch the movie. For example, Walt Disney, this company uses big promotion techniques to get viewers. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 used cross-promotion to promote the movie. The movie was targeted towards families and children. To get families interested they promoted the movie on the board game monopoly. If someone was going to buy the board game monopoly and it brought home, the kids would be more likely to want to watch the movie because they will see the movie cover whenever they play. Every time the family brings out the game or puts it back, the family would have to see the movie on top of the box. This creates enthusiasm for the film. Cross-media Convergence was also used for this film. Disney made ads with Dairy Queen to help promote the movie. As someone who has eaten at Dairy Queen, this type of promotion would make me more aware of the movie, and I would be more inclined to watch the movie. This encourages people to watch the movie because everywhere they look, they would see it. It is also in the back of their minds because they have seen a commercial or the promotion in the store. The target audience needs to be considered in the marketing. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast does a great job of knowing their audience. This movie needed some marketing because people already saw the original and they could watch it at home anytime they want, instead of going to the movie theater. They used synergy to promote the movie on ABC on the bachelor. They used people from the movie to host the bachelor edition. People get to know some of the actors that are going to in the movie and they might recognize someone they like which would make them want to watch the movie even more.

    Good marketing can lead to a successful film. The movie Jurassic World won two awards in 2015 and was the third-largest grossing movie of all time. The movie used cross-promotion to get reruns of older Jurassic Park movies. There were also sneak peeks of the movie on NBC. By doing this people were more interested and since the old movies were being played people were now caught up. This would make people want to watch the new movie. This type of marketing would attract new and old fans of the movies. One example of where marketing did not work well is the movie Ugly Dolls. The movie only made 8 million dollars on opening weekend. This movie had some marketing strategies, but the marketing did not work, so the overall movie was a flop. To start, the posters for the movie were dull, and most of them did not hint at what the movie was about. If someone were to see this, it probably would not attract them, and they would not think about it. Their target audience, children, usually like brighter colors to grab their attention. They also tried to use viral marketing, but it did not work. There was a website set up for a younger audience, however, not many people knew about the website, so the news did not spread around it. If the audience felt more involved when using the website, they would be more likely to tell their friends and family. Most of the movies I watch or go to see in the movie theater are recommended to me, so if the marketing is not good no one will talk about it. They had some good elements when it came to advertising, but it was not enough. Overall, it did not address the movie as much as it should. People need a good reason to go to see a movie, and the promotion usually creates that reason. In this case, it did not pique people’s interest, and the film did not do well. Without good marketing strategies, the promotions do not connect to the people. This shows that movies need effective marketing in order to be successful.

   Without effective marketing, a film cannot be a big success, if one knows it exists, then no one can talk about it. A film has to be marketed, so people learn what it is about, so they will be interested. If the marketing does not gain positive feedback, then the people who were going to watch it probably will not go.

24 Extract Practice

   The theme of the extract is that sometimes people have to whatever it takes to overcome evil. Throughout the extract, the detective uses various techniques to try to get information from the woman. The director is trying to convey is suspense. The director wanted the audience to be eager to keep on watching. The director uses small details to make the actions of the characters even greater.
   
    The first scene starts with a woman sitting in an interrogation room. The setting of the interrogation shows that the woman in the room is important because it sets up the storyline. The woman is holding some information, this makes viewers wonder what is going on and why she is there. This creates a feeling of suspense. When the man who is questioning her walks into the room there is a zoom to show the camera in the corner of the room. This zoom shot of the camera shows that there is someone is watching them. This makes the audience wonder why he is looking at it and why the camera being there would matter. The zoom also shows that the man may be planning to do something that he does not want anyone else to see. The close up of their faces emphasizes the tension between them, this shows that something big has happened or is going to happen. There is also a graphic match when the woman glance at a prop, the clock. The clock makes ticking sound just like a bomb would when it is counting down. It shows the amount of time they have left before the bomb is set off. This builds even more suspense because it means they are under a time constraint. The lighting in the room is dim. This sets the mood of the scene and reflects the overall feeling of the scene, making it mysterious. This gives off the feeling the woman has done something very bad. Throughout the scene, there is no dialogue between the characters, the score just starts to intensify. The music makes this even more suspenseful because it looks like it is going to lead to some big action.
 
  In the next scene, they have a dialogue. The dialogue between the two characters becomes intense and shows the tension between them. As the dialogue continues the detective gets frustrated. Viewers are left wondering how much time until something goes wrong. There is an over the shoulder shot during the dialogue from the woman’s point of view. This shows how angry he is towards her and the actions she has performed. The high angle of the detective demonstrates that he is the one in power and he is trying to get her to give him more information about the bomb. The shot-reverse-shot to the room and then to the officers outside shows how worried they are that something dangerous might happen in the room. During this the woman’s face is calm, this gives off the feeling that she has done this before and is a threat. This makes the viewers also think that something is going to happen, and this keeps them on their toes. They will continue to watch because they want to know what will happen next.

   The last scene is an action match of the detective running towards the woman and pushing her to the wall. The viewers are most likely surprised that it happened and are wondering if it is going to escalate. The diegetic sound of him breathing in deeply before pushing the woman lets the audience know that he was angry. The man hesitates because he knows he can get into trouble, but he risks it because he has to find out where the bomb is. The split-screen reveals what is happening in the integration room and what is happening on the outside. This demonstrates the chaos that was created. The officers and the defective on the outside did not think he would go that far. For the viewer, this makes them anxious because they are probably wondering if they will get there in enough time before the woman gets seriously hurt. During the split-screen, there is a tracking shot of the officer run towards the door to stop what is happening. The officer is in a hurry because he does not want anything to happen to the woman because she has some valuable information.
 
   This showed that in the end, people will do anything to overcome evil. The director’s vision was to create something suspenseful and would keep the audience wanting more. The director uses camera angles and movements, sounds, editing, and mis-en scene to show all of this.

CCR

This is the final CCR that I did. When I was filming the CCR I thought that it would be harder than the other project because there was a longer time requirement. We had to make the CCR 12 to 15 minutes but ended up making it 18 minutes long. After editing it down I was able to make it 14 minutes long. For most of the questions, I split them into two-part to answer them thoroughly. I wanted to make sure that I reflected on what I have learned from this class. When making the CCR I planned what I was going to say. I decided to make it an interview and I had my mom ask me the questions. With three other people in my house, it was kind to film because I wanted the background to be quiet. I didn’t want anyone to walk in the background. When I finally got to film the CCR I filmed for around 25 minutes because I had to restart two times. Overall, I feel that I got to say everything that I wanted. One thing I think I could have done better was the eye contact because my eyes would start to wonder sometimes. I decide to edit the same music we used in our movie for the background music of the CCR. I also added in some movie clips as examples of what I was talking about. I thought that it was easier to do the CCR on my own because I could reflect on my own thoughts. When doing the CCR with my group it was short and we could not meet the time limit. There was no organized plan, so no one knew what to say. When I did it feel that I was able to show what I learned and say what I learn about this entire process. I had a fun time making this a showing what I have learned.

Final Task

This is our final movie, Operation T.N.T. I was an actor and I play a kidnapper and one of the friends. This time when we were making this film, we were more organized. We planned out our filming days, and what scenes we were going to film. We filmed at two different locations. The first time we were filming went great, but we ran into a slight problem with the second location. Originally, we planned to film at the Broward College Library. However, they closed it due to the COVID-19. All our backups were also closed. We came up with a quick plan and found a library to film at. For the project, we were not able to edit together so one of us edited it at home. We texted each other to try to help when Rejoice was editing. When it was being edited, we realized it was too long. Some of the scenes had to be sped up some we could meet the time requirement. When looking back at the at our storyboard I noticed that it was too much, and the film would be too long. I am glad that we took out some of the parts because it would make the storyline unorganized. The group has gotten better at the filming process. When filming the movie, I felt more relaxed and natural in front of the camera. We were able to film our movie much faster because we knew how to use the equipment. Having done our other project made this project much easier and we have really improved.

Music video

This was the second project my group and I worked on. Since we did this project right after the commercial we were more familiar with the equipment. When we were doing the music video we ran into some problems. We were supposed to all film the music video together on the same day. However, we were not able to schedule on the same day. We decided that we would split up the parts we do. I did the scenes with the popcorn and some others. While Sabrina shot most of the other scenes. Rejoice was one the one that edited all of our parts together. We were able to put everything in the right order and make it look. Our music video could have been better and more organized. This showed us that have a backup plan is important. For this music video, we didn’t really have a backup plan so when it came time to film we could not find a time we could all meet. Making the music video showed us how to plan in detail. Working on this project improved my production skilled a lot from the time of the commercial. I learned a lot of new things about the filming process. There is a new camera movement I learned how to do from making this video. Doing this helped me when I was doing my final task. This also showed us that we need to learn how to time manage and schedule better. When planning the final task we were way more prepared.  

Commerical

      This is the very first project my group and I did for this class. This commercial was shot at our school since it was our very first project. We first started out with learning about the equipment and how to take care of it. We learned how to operate the camera and how to use a editing software. We had many different options when it came time to choose what kind of commercial, we should make. We decided to make a commercial about Fort Lauderdale High School. This commercial was about informing people about our school. We wanted to show the kind of programs that are offered at our school. I was the main actress and I wore a Fort Lauderdale High School shirt to match the commercial. In the video, we did not speak because we decided to so a voiceover. In the voiceover, I spoke about the buildings and what classes are typically in them. When we were filming, we had to get use to the equipment since it was our first time using it. It took us some time to get the camera set up and make sure everything was working correctly. This helped us to get our first experience at filming. We were able to learn how to actually film some shots. Looking back at this commercial I feel like we could have done better. However, since this was my first time filming that was to be expected. I feel that is commercial has helped me improved my production skills. This commercial shows how far I have come with my production skills. Through filming this commercial we were able to learn how to handle the equipment.

Filming Blog: Final Day Filming

On Tuesday we shot our last scenes of the film. We were able to film in the second location we had planned. We filmed the camera movement and camera shots we were missing. For these scenes, I played one of the friends. I was the one friend who went on a search for information on how to find the missing friend. At first, we considered using the computer as part of the research. The room that we were using was not that big so we would not be able to capture the scene the way we wanted to. There were also a lot of books that we had planned to use as props on the table, but it was better if we did not use them to make the scene look better. We decided to use library books since we were already in the library. The only difficult part of that scene was trying to figure out how I should position myself so Rejoice could get the shot. We did not want to film anyone next to us or make it awkward. We just decided to move to another section. I had to run out the door for that scene to make our action match and it turned out great. The other scene that was filmed was the phone scene. We used my phone since it was the only one that would be able to show the text message without anyone having to touch it. The scene was easy to film because it just involved sending a text and no one had to act. After we finished filming we looked at all the scenes and looked if the sound was okay. We wanted to make sure we did not miss anything. I am happy that we are finally done filming. All we have to do now is edit the movie and then it is done.

Filming Blog: Filming Problems

This weekend we did not film anything. We were waiting for Tuesday, the day we decided that we could meet up. There are three scenes we have agreed that we need to shoot. We want to finish filing and editing most of the film before spring break is over. We planned to film the rest of our scene at Central Broward College's library, but the school is now closed. The school was supposed to be open until March 23rd. We thought we would have enough time until the school closed. It was announced that all schools would be closed starting Monday. Due to the Coronavirus we were are not able to film at the library. Before the Coronavirus outbreak, we were just counting down the days until we could finally film. Now we have to figure out a new plan to film. We were supposed to film around 2:30pm on Tuesday. Now we had to change our plans and find a new location. This pushed us back a little bit because we had to find a place in such short notice. We thought we would have to cancel the whole day and find a new one. There was some time spent looking a new location because we do not know when else we can meet up to film. This is the only day we had planned where everyone could meet up. We have decided to film at the African American Research library because it is open. It is the only big library we could find that had the setting we needed. The props will stay the same since the setting is still like the other one we had planned. We will be filming on Tuesday, but we will filming at 11:30 am instead of the afternoon.

Re-Editing blog: Re-editing the Film

   Today in class we started to re-edit the movie parts we had so far. We decide to focus on the audio part more because we were told it was not loud enough. We need to watch the video back again to find the audio problem, but it was kind of hard because it was loud in class and we could not hear it that well. When we could finally hear the audio we realized that some parts in the sound were louder than the others. When the audio was made clearer I suggested that we fix one part in scene one because it was louder than the rest of the film. We started to edit it and make it lower. It was hard at first because the audio would go back and forth from loud to quiet. We were finally able to balance the audio level. It then got louder in the classroom so we decided that we will edit it somewhere else, where we will be able to hear it perfectly. This will help us to see exactly what is wrong and what needs to be fixed. If the audio cannot be fixed the way we want it, we would do a voice-over. Editing these scenes now will make it easier to edit the scenes we will add in later.
    There are three scenes left to shoot until we can finish the film. There are also some other shots that we need to add to the film. On Tuesday we plan to shoot the remaining scenes. We have started to plan the props needed for the film. The time in the afternoon we chose to film was chosen because we want to make sure we are able to make it to the place. We will think about what the peer view paper said when we are filming this time. This will help us to have all the camera angles and camera movements we are missing. When we finish filming the scenes they will be added in, put in order, and edited.

Re-Shoot Blog: No Reshoots

  Today we did not re-shoot part of our film. We were only given suggestions for the audio during our peer review. However, we do plan on adding in more scenes that we felt were missing. The film was missing three scenes and we will add them so the film flows better. Most of our scenes shot were filmed in our first filling location, so we did not need to refilm them. Before we left the location we checked the clips to make sure they were okay. We did not want to take there to be a chance of them being messed up. Since we all live in different areas and it can be difficult to meet up. There would be a big possibility that one of us could drive back to the location all on the same day. The biggest problem we had for the video was the audio and we plan on fixing it. We were not given any other criticism for a redo of any of the other scenes.
  We did not reshoot, but we talked about what we could or would need to do to make out film better. When looking back one thing we realized was that our pitch did not make sense with our film. The old pitch was ''betrayal is like a bed of thrones... it leaves you bloody". We realized that our film did not have any scenes with blood in them. We wanted the pitch to actually represent what the film is about. It was changed to an explanation of the girl being kidnapped without trying to reveal the entire opening. It was better to change the pitch because it tells a different story then what our movie is actually about. We also talked about what we will need for the next time we film. We wanted to make sure they were no problems leading up to that day.

Peer review blog

  Today we peer reviewed each other's videos in class. My group was assigned to review group five. We started off by getting the paper we needed to fill out and check off what the person has and does not have. This paper included lighting, sound, camera angles and more. The group I reviewed did not fully finish their video. The video was too short and most of the tiles were missing this made it difficult to figure out what the story was. We were unable to understand what the film was trying to convey because it only showed the beginning. The student only showed a person waking up in the morning and going into the bathroom. One thing I really liked about the film was the editing. Even though the film was short and did not last very long I feel that the editing made it flow and brings what they have so far together. The transitions were very smooth and they were not choppy. All the titles that were put in so far were well done. One suggestion I would make is to make it longer so that people are able to understand what is going on. This can be done through any more dialogue, camera angles, and camera shots. Our group was able to give the student advice and feedback on what they have to fix in order to enhance their film.
   When we looked back at our paper that another group peer reviewed we realized that we would have to work on some of the audio to make it more clear. There were some parts in the video that did not have the same volume as the others because of something in the background like the wind. We also need to add more camera angles and camera shots. For our film, we plan to change a few things and shoot some more scenes to make it better. This was a good way to get feedback for our film and to learn the ways we can improve it.

Editing blog: Dumping our Footage

Today we dumped our footage on the computer. We were not able to meet up and film this week. Filming will start again sometime this week or next week. We will be editing the footage we have filmed so far and will add the footage as we film more. This was the best option because when we film again the footage from last time will have already been edited. We can film and we do not have to worry about all the footage we have to edit. iMovie will be used because we have used it from the beginning of the year. This will be easier for me to give input since I know how the program works. I also can help with the transitions a lot better now. I will be able to improve my editing skills even more. The editing process was discussed was, but there was not much done. I made a suggestion about the titles and how the beginning should start, so we could know what to do when we start editing. This will help the film to be organized and the editing will go by a lot faster. We will start to move the clips in order of the film. We did start to edit anything, but we did put all the footage on the computer so we will be ready on Friday. One of my group members had to leave and we use her computer to editing because she has the editing software we use. So we were not able to edit anything else after she left. We will be doing some more editing next time we are together. After this everything will be placed on a flash drive for next time. I plan on bringing the flash drive to put our footage on.

Filming blog: We are Finally Filming

On Saturday, our group met up at the location to start filming. We filmed in the parking lot location first. There was one actor that was not able to make it due to an accident. Since the parking lot scenes were filmed I played one of the kidnappers. The first scene we did was the kidnappers recording their video. I was the kidnapper that had to tie the victim and also film the video. Remembering my lines were not that hard, however, I did forget some of the words sometimes. We ran into some problems along the way because it started to rain, so we could not film my part for a while. Instead, the friend scenes were filmed. I suggested that we have an establishing shot of the building and tilt to the friends. The spot that was picked to film the kidnappers was changed since the rain did not stop for a while and we wanted to continue filming. It was changed to a place with shade in the parking lot. The new spot that was picked turned out to be better because it looked more abandoned and fitted the genre of our film more. Since one of our actors was not able to come have agreed to replace him as one of the friends. These scenes will be filmed later in our other location. The second to last scene was also filmed. In this scene, the kidnappers got a call. This was fairly easy to film, but it needed to film a couple of times because I needed to say my line louder. It was a pretty windy day so if I was not close to the camera I needed to almost yell what I was going to say. These are pictures of us getting ready to film the kidnapper scene. This scene was difficult to get done because people kept walking by and some would make noises that we did not want to end up in the film. I could not stop laughing because every time we started to film people would give us weird looks.

Filming Blog: Not Able to Film

   This week we were not able to film because we could not meet up with each other. Living far apart from each other and having such different schedules makes it hard to come together. After school, all of us have different clubs we go to and some of us volunteer. However, we plan to meet up and start filming our film this Saturday. I suggested that we start filming on Saturday because that is when my group members and the actors will be available. We want to have enough time to edit and reshoot our film. In the meantime, I have gotten my share of the props needed to shoot. We decided to split the props we need because it would be better for us that way. I went to the store to buy the mask. I already have some of the other props at my house. I plan on going to the store to buy my custom to wear for the person I will be portraying.
   We plan to meet up at the parking lot we have decided to film at. Also, we plan to film in the afternoon to get the best lighting shots possible. When we arrive will shoot the kidnapper scene first with me and one of the actors. The scene filming will probably take a few hours because we want to get as much as possible. We also do not want to have to reshoot most of the film since we do not live close to each other. We will film the scenes that include all the actors so that we can have them in case they are not available next time we film. There is one scene we changed to accommodate where we will be filming so that it can be in the film. We did not want this scene to be taken out because it would mess up the flow of the opening. This is a picture of the parking lot we will be filming some of our scenes at.

Storyboarding the film

Today, my group members and I are constructing the storyboard that will present the scenes of the movies in detail. Each box is drawn out to emphasize the particular scene in greater detail. The scenes are stretched out to capture each set of movements, angles, and actions that will be displayed on the screen. In total, there were ten sheets of storyboard paper that were used to capture each moment within the film in great detail. For each box, the drawings display the setting of the scene that is particularly being filmed. Additionally, the storyboard will contain details as to what is currently happening in the scene. The storyboard will also address the type of transition each scene will undergo, as well as, state visually where the title will be positioned. Overall, the storyboard will present each scene that will be played out in the movie but in the form of a sketch. Visually seeing how each scene will be portrayed allows the group to see if any rearrangements need to be made or any tweaks to the scenes. Creating the storyboard will, not only display how each scene will play out, but also allow for mistakes to be handled early and for readjustments.

Scheduling Blog : Location, Actors, Schedule and Safety

Today our group created a Google slide presentation that displays the basic information that is needed for our final project. Specifically, we included information that would show who is being recorded on screen, where the movie will take place, the schedule for filming and safety procedures on set. By including this type of information, not only does it organize how our group will operate, but it allows potential actors to know that our group is serious about the filming. Writing down the setting of the film and the actors who'll partake in the film organizes the filming process to be smoother. By including the schedule within the presentation, it allows our group to set aside days that will be used solely just for filming. Additionally, scheduling allows for our group to set aside days for gathering up props, costumes, and to edit footages that are already obtained. By adding the health and safety precautions, it allows our group to be well prepared in case any accident were to occur during the filming process. With having a full plan ahead, the filming and editing process will be a bit easier and smoother compared to if someone were to film a movie without a full set of plans. If, in the end, changes need to be made then our group could easily go back to the Google slide presentation and tweak the old plan with the new. In general, the Google slide presentation will allow every group member, including actors for filming, to be fully prepared for any obstacle to come in the way and to be fully prepared for filming our final project.

Title Design

Today our group is constructing a Google slide presentation that displays the organization of the titles. The presentation includes key information regarding how the title will look and function. For instance, the information on the slideshow will include the color, size, and spacing of the font. Additionally, the presentation will also include information regarding how long the title will be presented for and how the title will first enter and exit on screen. By creating the Google slide, the group will obtain the format of the movie titles in an organized manner. The Google slide will neatly show everything that our team wants to include as the movie title for the final project. Therefore, minimal mistakes would be made since the format of each movie title is presented clearly and chronologically within the presentation. If any kind of error were to occur, our group could easily go back to the presentation and review the original format of the movie titles. To add on, if any group member were to come up with a better visual representation of how the movie title should be we could easily go back to the presentation and make quick adjustments. Overall, creating Google slides showcasing all of our ideas and plans for the movie title will, in the end, be more beneficial.
 

Planning Blog: Sound and Dialogue Script

Our group organized a Google slide presentation that will present the dialogue, that goes with the movie, along with the different implementation of sounds. Each slide consists of different scenes that will be played out within our group's movie. Along with the scenes of the movie, a variety of sounds and dialogues will be used to make the movie seem more natural and fitting. Each slide presented will show the breakdown analysis of what sound will be heard in each scene. Additionally, the breakdown analysis will also show what each character will express in word form. By creating the Google slide presentation, each hired actor will know what each character is supposed to say and do. The Google slide presentation will help lower the chances of any mistakes from occurring during the filming process. Additionally, the Google slide presentation will enhance the production to go smoothly. If a mistake were to occur, changes in the dialogue could be tweaked to make the scene seem more fitted. Overall, the Google slide presentation will show a breakdown of all the sounds and dialogues each scene will contain that will make the filming process more efficient.

Planning Blog: Shooting Script

Today our group is creating a Google slides presentation showcasing all of the camera movements, angles, and shots. Each slide shows the different scenes of the movie broken down. As of now, there are a total of 10 scenes that are broken down specifically. Each scene is planned out to closely match the final product of the project. Creating the Google slide presentation will allow each group member to understand what is going to happen within the following scenes. The Google slides shows what each scene contains and what will be implemented. To add on, the Google slide presentation will allow for minimal mistakes to occur when the time of filming arrives. If there comes a time when a scene doesn't flow with another, changes could be made easily by going back to the breakdown analysis. Overall, creating Google slides will organize all of the scenes to make it easier to comprehend. Lastly, the presentation will show in detail all of the camera movements, angles and shots each scene is supposed to be made up of.

Title Research: Godzilla Final Wars

During the openings of the movie Godzilla Final Wars, there was a total of eighteen opening titles within the first minute of the film. Throughout the opening sequence, the main sets of images that came across the screen were of civilians fleeing away from Godzilla as the creature destroys the buildings in its way. The images presented within the opening sequence was shown in a fast-paced manner. In general, the pictures of the creature destroying the tall buildings and the civilians screaming were all used to create an eerie feeling from the audience. The main goal of the opening sequence was to send shivers running down the audience's spines. In total, the duration of the opening sequence for the movie Godzilla Final Wars is exactly a minute and forty seconds. Within the first minute, the openings shows various clips of Godzilla roaming the city, destroying each building while people are running for their lives. To the viewer's eyes, the opening displays a segment of clips depicting the horror of the massive creature; the scenes can be depicted as a thriller which can be identified by the showing of a massive creature with helpless people running to save themselves. By the end of the opening segment, the audience members are more likely to raise questions as to how the giant beast gets destroyed, where did Godzilla originate, and does the city live in harmony by the very end.

To ensure the film appeals to its audience members, the opening sequence starts off by going in chronological order based on the timeline starting from 1958 and ending with 2004. The timeline shows how long Godzilla has been alive trying to destroy society. Then, the opening sequence displays rapid images and scenes of destruction and fear. When an audience member watches this opening title, the amount of action and destruction displayed gets the people interested in the upcoming story. Throughout the whole segment, the main use of transition were fast-paced jump cuts; those jump cuts were used to create an uneasy feeling from the audience members. Then, the opening used inserts to show various moments and images of people running away and screaming while Godzilla is hovering over the civilians destroying the buildings. Finally, the opening sequence used instrumental music or score when displaying the images of destruction and chaos. The score used was to indicate how serious the matter of the issue was and is still currently.

Title Research: US

-How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?

One of the movies we chose to research was US. There are 25 titles in the opening sequence of the film. Some of these include actors, the director, and producers.

-What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?

Throughout the opening sequence, there is a tv screen of the news and a program. The family is at a fair or carnival. There are fair games and rides, people walking, the beach, and people having fun. The sky is thundering and it is raining. There is this game that says find yourself with a lot of mirrors. In one clip the girl is wearing a shirt that says Micheal Jackson's thriller shirt.

-What connotations do the images carry?

The images give a sense of what the movie will be about at first it seems fun, but then it take a turn. This tells me that the movie will most likely be scary because of the shot before the credits begin. The little girl opens her mouth widely and shockingly like she just saw something. The scenes are also dark which makes it scarier. To get to the credits there is an eyline match to some bunnies. In one clip the girl is wearing a shirt that says Micheal Jackson's thriller this shows the time period it is and it kind of sets a chilling tone.

-How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outside?

The clips of the building that says fine yourself reinforce the genre through symbolic codes. It is dark and there is no one in there besides the little girl. The shirt she wins also reinforces the genre, it implies that the family went to the fair around October.

-How does the film establish an enigma for the outset?

It establishes enigma by cutting to the titles right when the girl gets to the mirror. The audience is left wondering what exactly she saw, but they have to watch the rest of the movie if they want to find out.

-What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?

To appeal to its target audience the film starts off with and endings with the girls looking scared. This suggests that the rest of the movie is going to be scary which leaves people wanting more. All the darkness, when she is on the beach, sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

-How has technology been used effectively? 

There are a lot of different angles and transitions like tracking shots, jump-cuts, and close-ups. The score when she is in the building turns from calming to silence to just whistling. This makes it a lot more terrifying and makes it more suspenseful. Nothing too gory has happened yet, but it keeps you on your toes. The editing is good and there are a lot of eyeline matches in the opening.

Title Research: XXX State of the Union Movie

Based on the movie sequence shown for a minute and twenty-nine seconds, in total there was 20 titles. In the very beginning, it showed an inmate walking down a jailhouse accompanied by two police officers. Then, it shifts the focus from the main inmate to the scenery of the current establishment. As the opening comes to an end, the last image shown is of the White House to reinforce the idea that the next scene will take place at the state capital building. Overall, the opening sequence creates a feeling of action or suspense, specifically indicating that within the next couple of scenes something will occur. When it showed in the beginning the inmate and at the end the White House, those two short scenes indicates that the main character will play a significant role starting at the first location which is the state capital building. Throughout the opening sequence, the main connotation depicted by the images was that the movie will involve government interference along with the military. The images and scenes displayed was to guide the audience members on who will be involved within the movie. For the main portion of the opening, three bullets shot guides the audience members through the scenery of the beginning indicating that the movie will contain action with some mystery behind certain aspects. Additionally, by showing the logo of the government the opening allows audience members to understand that the following movie will contain government interference and military action.

The opening segment allowed for the audience members to raise questions as to who the inmate is, why is the inmate being placed in a cell, and what significance will be of the inmate. To appeal to the audience members, the opening sequence did start off using real actors, but then drifts off into showing an animated segment where the bullets guide the viewer's eyes throughout the next couple of scenes. By mixing the use of animation and real life, it calls the attention of audience members. Throughout the opening sequence, a mix of score and incidental music was played to indicate that the beginning of the scene will be fast and full of energy. By the end of the opening sequence, an establishing shot was presented when the White House came to view. The inclusion of the White House was to inform the audience members that the very next scene will take place within the capital building. In between the opening sequence, graphic match were used constantly to not only provide smooth transitions, but to establish the setting of the parts that was animated. The graphic match was used in parts that were animated and made it easier for the viewers to guide their eyes to follow through with the next scene. 

Title Research: It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? 

 The film had 26  title sequences.

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?

A ball and cartoon people figures were prioritized. 

What connotations do the images carry?

The images carry confusion, haphazardness, and instability.

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outside?

Multiple conundrums are flashed throughout the titles leaving viewers wondering what exactly is going on and why are these images important to the movie. It also leaves them questioning what to expect in the movie.

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 

The movie starts with a cartoon man holding a huge giant ball and the title sequence ends with him being trampled by other cartoon people. This strategy has viewers focusing on two objects and having them recognize those things throughout, making them important to the movie. Viewers will then now be looking for the ball and cartoon man throughout the movie, keeping them engaged. 

How has technology been used effectively?

Lots of jumpcuts and incidental music. The incidental is an amusement park theme, but with the number of times, it's used viewers will be thinking of this movie when heard anywhere else. 

Title Research: Art of the titles

Today we researched more titles for our movie. We looked at a website called Art of the Title to look out how titles are made and samples of what we should have in our movie title. We watched openings form movies and picked the top movie openings we want to recreate.  Since my group chose thiller as the genre we want our movie to be, we looked at some thiller movies. There was a good amount of thillers to pick which opening we wanted to use. The movies helped us figure out what to include in our title and where to place them. This lets us think more creatively about our movie. We were able to see the differences and similarities of thiller sequences. A thriller title sequence always gets viewers scared and anticipating the start of the movie.  Thrillers have to come up with unique ways to scare a viewer into watching with their title sequence. They can't continue using the same title sequence or viewers will be disinterested in the movie from start. We will come back to this website in case we need more inspiration or a reference on how a title sequence was done. This website helped us learn more about the movie/film making process. Our movie can now look more professional because we learned how to make title sequences by this website. This website is very helpful to teach anyone who needs to learn how to make title sequences or even give experts some ideas on what their title sequence should look like. 

Title Research: Watch the titles

Today we researched titles for our final task. The website homepage includes a lot of movies, tv shows, and animations. We were able to find free movies and watch openings for research. The genre my group had was thriller, there were a lot of thriller movies on the site. We are researching titles because we need to know how to set them up correctly for our movie. By looking them up we are able to see how it is supposed to look. We also see where they need to be placed. This makes us think about what could go into our movie and what would look the best. I was able to see the differences in all the movies and what we would like the most. It showed me what typical thriller movie openings and tiles look like. This will come in handy when making the movie. We will be able to come back to this if we need to see how to do it correctly. This was a helpful website and gave us the opportunity to make our movie look good. I have now learned more about titles. I cannot wait to start the filing process for our movie.

Genre Research: Suicide squad

Camera Angles:
-Establishing shot: The movie starts off at Black Site in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana
-High angle: City buildings
-Close up: Harley Quinn face upside down.
-Long shot: Harley Quinn hanging upside down in a cage.
-Medium close-up: Deadshot setting a device on a fence through his car window.
-Two shot: Deadshot talking to a guard through a small window in a door.  Deadshot walking with his daughter carrying bags/gifts. Harley Quinn talking to the Joker.
-Over the shoulder: Deadshot and his daughter talking.

Common Mis-En-Scene:
-Costume: Harley Quinn in rags. Harley Quinn in a gold short dress. Deadshot in a trench coat.  Harley Quinn wearing a white coat, glasses, and black heels. Harley Quinn wearing a ripped shirt, stockings, sneakers, red jacket, chocker, leather glove, spike bracelets, Bobby pin earrings. Deadshot in army gear ( bulletproof vest, boots, gun holsters)
-Lighting: Fluorescent(high and low), the moon
-Actors: Young adults- Two women and four men (main characters {villains turned into heroes[5] and a government soldier})
Middle Age- one woman and two men (side characters {government officials})
-Makeup: Tattoos and dirt for Harley Quinn. Harley Quinn wearing red lipstick. Harley Quinn with blue and pink eye shadow, blue and pink hair dye (halfway), peeling nail polish on fingers.
-Props: guns, baseball bat, robotic eyepiece, samurai sword
-Settings: Louisiana (inside cells/prison makeshifts, outside, inside a building

Common Editing:
-Jumpcut: different parts of the fighting scene being shown
-Flashback: Showing what happened to the villains before they were caught
-Shot reverse shot: Deadshot walking to a door, a guard talking to Floyd through the door on the other side, and Floyd talking back on his side.

Common Elements: Three big Fights between the villains turned into heroes with guards or people who work for the government, lots of weapons used, fast pace, explosions, and lots of stunts

Common Sound:
-Diegetic: talking, book dropping, grunt
-Non-Diegetic: Cell opening with an electric buzz, planes flying high, gunshots, glass breaking, sword slices
-Score: upbeat Spanish music, dark music, ominous music, fast pace fighting music

Elements I like:The fast pace of the movie and all the fighting is done. It gives pure adrenaline to the viewers and grabs their attention.  The showing of the betrayal is a plot twist viewers wouldn’t expect especially because of who betrayed them.

Elements I disliked: You can see which characters in the villain/antihero group take charge and it seems like the group was made haphazardly based on what skills r need to achieve the main goal. The characters in the group don’t seem like they work together well. There is little to no emotional connection with majority of characters in this movie

Genre Research: Glass

Camera Angles:
-Establishing shot: Old room
-Close up: Old man mouth
-Long shot: Guy walking through the door
-Medium shot: Guy standing
-Three shot: Three girls tied to a pole
-One-shot: Old man standing in a white room with only a bed in there
-Shot reverse shot: Old man standing in a white room to someone talking through a mic back to the man in the room

Common Mis-En-Scene:
-Costume: Old man and a young adult man wear hospital clothes. A black old man wearing a purple suit.
-Lighting: sunlight, low key lighting, and fluorescent.
-Actors: Two old men and a young man (main characters)
-Makeup: gray dye in hair
-Props: wheelchair
-Settings: abandoned building, hospital, and outside

Common Editing:
-Jumpcut: Woman looking at the young guy and the young guy looking at the woman
-Flashback: Showing the past of the young main character and what is happening in the present with his actions
-Common Element: The main characters are considered villains fighting real-life heroes.

Common Sound:
-Diegetic: talking, footsteps, door opening
-Incidental: creepy tick-tock sound

Common Element: This movie keeps you on your toes. There is a high level of anticipation.

Elements I like: It changed the viewpoint of what a villain is supposed to look like and act

Elements I disliked:  There’s not much of a feeling that can be felt in the movie. It’s very redundant in the way one of the main characters is continuously trying to convince the other main character that he is strong and that he can help both of them escape and take control.

Movie poster:

Genre Research: Spectre

Common Camera Angles:
Establishing shot: in the beginning, the setting was prepared to be taken place in Mexico City during the Day of the Dead. Then, towards the middle of the movie the setting changes to be located in Tangier, Morocco.

High angle: Showed when the main character, Bond, is holding a gun and walking along the rooftops

Long shot: Showed in the beginning when Bond was posing for the intro

Medium shot: Showed when the character Bond and a side girl character was walking along the Day of the Dead Parade

Medium close-up: Showed when both Bond and the girl character was in the elevator together

Two shot: Showed both Bond and the girl character in the beginning

Three shot: Showed Bond and two other main characters in one room in the middle of the movie

Over the Shoulder shot: Showed when Bond was about to shoot the bad guys from the rooftops


Common Mis-En-Scene:
Costume- (beginning) skeletal attire for Day of the Dead Parade, then switches to formal suites during the chase
                 (middle) winter attire when the characters were outside, then switches to casual wear when both the main characters are strolling along the Moroccan streets
                 (ending) both the hero and the villain was shown wearing formal suites once again

Lighting- (beginning) natural lighting since it was daytime
                (middle) low key lighting since the rooms shot in were dark
                (ending) low key lighting since it was nighttime

Actors- middle-aged men for the villains and for the main hero, young female support character, and young male technician

Makeup- skeletal masks for Day of the Dead themed parade, Bloodstains, sweat, and scars (mainly on one of the villain's eyes)

Props- Helicopter, guns, and skeletal themed staff (used at the beginning of the film)

Settings- Film was recorded in popular places such as Rome, Morocco, Tokyo, Austria, Mexico City, and London


Common Editing:
Fade out: In the beginning, the scene goes from a black screen to the setting of Mexico City

Eye-line Match: When bond was about to shoot at the bad guys it shows the two bad guys he was looking at in the beginning

Iris In: Mimicking the original James Bond movie, the film started off showing a black screen that follows up by a white circle forming in the center

Common Elements:
The film included chase scenes, high levels of energy/tension, fights between the villain and the main protagonist, stunts such as when Bond was trying to save himself from getting crushed by the collapsing building, and various explosions.

Common Sounds:
Diegetic Sounds: car sirens, windows breaking, people clapping, trumpets playing, people cheering, collapsing building

Non-Diegetic Sounds: gun shots, propellers from the helicopter, explosions

Score: fiesta styled music playing during the Day of the Dead Parade, highly energized music during chase/fight scenes


Elements I like of the Movie:
What I liked about the movie was the various settings the movie managed to incorporate. Usually, within films there would only be a couple of settings, but the movie Spectre was able to take place in more than just a couple of popular places.

Elements I Disliked of the Movie:
Within the first ten minutes of the film, there was scenes that showed explosions and chase/fight scenes in order to draw the attention of the viewers. However, it would have made the movie seem more natural if the action scenes were done a little bit more passed the beginning.

Movie Poster for Spectre (2015):

Genre Research: A Quiet Place

Common Camera Angles: 
-Tracking: When the family is walking around the store
-Low angle: When the deaf girl is standing over the counter looking at her mom
-High angle: When the deaf girl is laying in the sand
-Long shot: Right before the boy gets taken by the monster
-Close up: When the mom is giving birth

Common Mis-En-Scene:
-Costume: They all wear normal clothes, except they are barefoot. They do not wear shoes so they do not make noise.
-Lighting: Natural light from the outside. Low key lighting because it got dark in the house.
-Actors: A family of five. Three children and a mom and a dad.
-Makeup: The makeup is natural and light. Their hair is a little messy.
-Props: Backpacks, a gun, a toy airplane
-Setting: The setting in this movie is mostly a house that looks normal on the outside, but is weird on the inside. Everything in the house is close together to show that the family wants to keep close. It also takes place in the woods.

Common Sound:
-Diegetic: The breathing, walking, wind,  keys, and running at the beginning
-Non-Diegetic: The toy airplane, the static from the radio,  the monsters, and the animals
-Incidental: When something big is going to happen or to show things over time.
-Score: When they put on the headphones when they are dancing

Common Editing:
- Shot reverse shot: When the mother and son are having a conversation
-Jumpcut: Throughout the movie
-Fade out: At the end of the movie

Common Elements:
Common elements include running and this creates suspense. Fights between the villain and the "good guys" are also common. In this case, it would be between the monsters and the family.

Elements I liked about this genre:
What I liked about this is suspense, since there was not that much sound it made the suspense bigger. I was able to feel everything I usually would if there was sound.

Elements I did not like about this genre:
What I did not like is the close up of the monster towords the end of the movie.

The Genre Chosen for the Final Task

In total, our group researched three different types of movie genres which includes action, thriller, and dance. Out of the three genres, our group decided that our final task would fall under the genre of thriller. Our final task will be deemed as a thriller because the plot of the final task would revolve around the idea of someone being kidnapped. Particularly, the victim in the final task will be the person being kidnapped and the friend who tries to rescue the victim ends up taken out. The final task would not be under the dance genre because our plot for the final task would not fit the elements the goes into a dance film. Additionally, the final task would not entirely be under the action genre either because the plot of the movie would not include the main protagonist vs. antagonist or the fight/rescue scenes that go into a typical action movie. Overall, the group settled on our genre to be a thriller since it fits well with the idea of the final task.

Genre Research: Researching more genres

The two additional genres our group decided to research on, besides dance, was action and thriller.

Genre: 

Action

Common Camera Angles:

-High angles, in action films, are used to portray how the figure appears physically small and meek 

-Low angles, in action films, are used to portray how the figure appears physically bigger and stronger 

-Medium shots are used to distinguish what the actor is holding or elaborating with their hands (medium shot only shows the actors waist and up)

-Two shot in action films are used to show the actors either engaging in a conversation or conducting a scheme 

-Extreme close-ups, in action films, are used to create a feeling of intimacy showing how the actor is vulnerable and more human at the moment

Common Mis-En-Scene:

-Costume: For the heroes of the film, the color scheme is usually bright and vibrant, while the villains are usually clothed in dark colors. Costuming, in general, could vary depending on the idea that is being filmed.

     Ex) The Man of Steel movie portrayed an actor wearing a superhero suit with a cape, while a  James Bond movie has the actor dressed in a fancy tuxedo

-Lighting: Low key lighting is used at first to indicate danger/conflict, then high key lighting is used to signify resolution

-Actors: The main type of actors portrayed in action films are heroes, villains, and the damsel in distress

     Ex) In The Man of Steel movie, Superman is portrayed as the hero, Lois Lane is the damsel in distress, and the villain is General Zod

-Makeup: The most commonly used makeup are bruises, blood, sweat, cuts, and wound marks

-Props: Props may vary for each type of action movie. However, the most commonly used props are helicopters, large vehicles, guns, bombs, and knives

-Setting: The location of each action film usually takes place in either a popular country or an urban area

     Ex) In The Man of Steel movie, the film takes place in Chicago. In the Mission Impossible movie, the film takes place in New Zealand

Common Editing:

-Establishing shot: Identifies the location and time of the scene about to be screened

-Cutaway: Displays the object the actor has their eyes on and looks back at the main subject

-Jump cuts: Has the actor seem like they are moving in a fast pace manner but in reality, is not

Elements of the Genre:

-Action films usually contain a protagonist that is facing a life-threatening situation or is placed in a scenario where the antagonist must be defeated by the protagonist. In most cases, action films try to incorporate physical stunts, battles, races, explosions, high energy, and any types of rescuing to fall under the specific trope of action films. 

Common Sounds:

-Non-Diegetic sound: commonly used as background music especially for scenes that use background music to create emphasis 

-Diegetic sound: commonly used as sound effects through explosions, gun fires and shouting noises

Elements that I liked of this genre:

-The main element of action movies that appealed to me was the incorporation of the main protagonist that contained human-like qualities and emotions that would connect the audience with the main character. 

Elements that I disliked of this genre:

-The main element of action movies that I disliked was the fact that antagonists usually get defeated first in order for the resolution to take place in the end, however, the protagonist should try reasoning first before having to finish the villain off completely. 

Example films of your Genre:

James Bond 

Man of Steel 

Mission Impossible Fallout 

Thriller genre

Common angles:
-High angle: This makes whatever is being looked down on look powerless and vulnerable.
-Low angle: This emphasizes the amount of power the villain and makes everyone else feel weak.
-Tilt: Adds a dramatic effect and increases the tension. An example is it acting like the victim is on the floor and you can see from their point of view.

Common Mis-En-Scene:
-Custom: The antagonist is usually wearing darker clothes and the protagonist is wearing brighter clothes. However, they are wearing normal clothes because it looks more realistic.
-Lighting: The lighting is usually low level to create suspense and make create shadows. Using this lighting helped to hide faces and or clues.
-Actors: There are usually a villain and a "good guy" or just someone trying to escape the villain.
-Makeup: This is usually natural or minimal
-Props: They can include weapons like guns or knives.
-Setting: This is usually filmed on a set like a house that has dark lighting.

Common Editing:
-Jump cuts: This makes the actor look like they are moving faster than they really are
-Graphic match: Used to emphasize the action that has taken place
-Flashback: Gives insight to persons past and helps to explain why the person is the way they are

Elements in the genre: These movies usually have a protagonist trying to escape the antagonist. Thriller uses suspense and tension as its main elements. They affect the audience's moods giving them anticipation, uncertainty, and terror.

Example films in the genre: Get out, Silence of the lambs, and a quiet place.

Common sound: Non-diegetic sounds to build up suspense. The music usually starts off slow and then becomes louder and faster. Sometimes silence is used to create and sense of panic and tension.

Elements I like: I like that thriller gives you the suspense without the horror. There is a good balance of creepy and action.

Elements I do not like: Most of them develop the same plot after a while.