My first attempt at filming and editing

We recently completed our first task - filming someone come in through a door, sit down opposite someone else and exchange a few words of dialogue. It was more challenging than I had originally expected but a lot of fun and left us with lots of room to be creative.

I had never used the DSLR's before so remembering all the things that had to be done with them was quite challenging - checking the white balance, zoom, manual focus etc.

White balance is used to make the shots look the right colour in different lights e.g. natural sunlight looks slightly blue onscreen compared to artificial light which looks slightly orange. White balance is used to stop this happening.

We also use ISO to control the amount of light that is let in by the lens, a high ISO would increase light sensitivity so you can capture video in lower light environments without having to use a flash, however the picture can appear grainy if the ISO is high. It is better to stick to a low ISO if possible to make the image as clear as possible.

We didn't use aperture in this scene as you can tell because everything's in focus. The aperture of the camera allows us to adjust the depth of field in the shot; a small aperture puts everything in the shot in focus however, a large aperture would have allowed us to bring the things in the foreground into focus whilst blurring the background. This would add a professional feel to the film and is something I would be very interested in using in my final opening scene.

We had to remember not to break the 180 degree rule (to make sure the characters are always facing the right way) and to make sure we had good continuity - not changing the way we sit or position of the props. We also had to look at the composition of the shot and where the characters were placed, foreground, background, centre. This made the filming process quite long as there was a lot of things that had to be set up and decisions that had to be made.

As well as using the cameras for the first time, I had my first experience with a tripod. I really enjoyed using it as it allowed us to get a steady shot (something I had never achieved in previous short films) The only trouble we had with it was getting the shot straight as the camera was on a 'ball' on the tripod to allow it to be moved around, however this made getting a straight shot level more challenging.

We also adjusted the lighting in the room using different light combinations to try and get a good colour however, we also shot in the corridor outside the room which had more natural light without adjusting the white balance causing there to be a difference in the colouring of the shots.

We also did a 'shot-reverse-shot' to establish the position of me and Jenny in the room, however I think we positioned Jenny too far left in her shot creating a large expanse of background to her right that is dead space. If I were to shoot this again I would position her more in the centre of the shot.

We also had some confusion over when the camera was actually filming so had quite a lot of wasted footage that became quite difficult to sift through in the editing process. When we film again we need to have a clear 'Action' and 'Cut' in order to be as efficient with the time and film as possible.

Unfortunately, we actually missed a shot from the scene, one of Jenny sitting down. Therefore when the scene plays through she just appears at the table opposite me. In the future we must make a track of what shots we need and possibly even tick them off as we've shot them to ensure that nothing gets missed which results in a break in the continuity of the scene.

We decided to have our scene set in a café where one character is late. To create an 'on edge', hectic feel we created a montage of shots flitting between the character waiting, a clock and the character rushing into the room.
We did a mid-shot of me sat at the table so you could see the character and the background to try and establish the setting for the audience.

We decided the close-up of the clock should be slightly off centre to create a feeling of unease and foreshadow that something was wrong.

We also decided that the shot of Jenny coming down the stairs should have just her feet to exaggerate the fast pace of the scene.

The fast movements of the rushed character greatly contrasted with the very slow movements of the waiting character, this symbolised how the late character was in control, they are putting the waiting character in a position they clearly feel uncomfortable in which reflects the rest of the scene.

I really liked using Final Cut because I found it easy to use and it was actually quite exciting to see the scene come together as you drag the pieces of film into the timeline.

It would definitely be easier if we had more footage that we could use rather than having the bin full of outtakes which are time consuming to sift through.

I also had to be careful when editing the work in the conversation between me and Jenny because when I cut between the two different angles we had moved our hands in different ways and I had to make sure they didn't go from being on the table in one shot to at my face in the next. This was to ensure I had good continuity.

I also liked how I could see the preview of what you were editing on the screen, it really helped give me an idea of the final cut and made it clearer to see the shots I was trying to edit together.

I didn't get the chance to look at titles and different things you can do with the shots but I'm hoping to be able to play around a bit with final cut to find out the different things I can do.

Once the footage was in the bin I found it relatively simple to edit it into a scene however I found the more technical bits such as uploading the footage and exporting (or sharing) it more difficult and confusing. This goes for the camera as well, I will definitely need a recap on how to set it up to film because the technical elements of camera work and editing come less naturally to me but I will definitely put a lot of effort into trying to learn as I would like to do something in this industry (such as broadcast journalism) as my career.

Overall I've really enjoyed my first experience with filming and editing. I found the creative elements - choosing what to film and editing it together - very fun and the more technical elements challenging but I'm also hoping this will improve and come more naturally to me as I go through the course. I am really looking forward to doing some more projects like this further down the line.

Film Opening 6 - Bridget Jones' Diary

Film 6 - Bridget Jones' Diary

Bridget Jones' Diary was made in 2001 by  Sharon Maguire, produced by Universal Pictures and StudioCanal and distributed by Lionsgate Home Entertainment. It had an estimated budget of $25 million and made a gross profit of $71,500,556 in the US and $281,929,795 worldwide. The opening sequence is about 1 minute 50 seconds long.

All the sound in this sequence is non-diegetic apart from the sound of a phone saying, "No new messages." The song playing is 'All by Myself' by Cèline Dion which sets the theme for the entire film - she is trying to find love. It tells us a lot about Bridget's character because we find out she's alone and upset by that fact but very accepting of it. This adds a great deal of humour because she is able to make fun of herself without really realising it which is comical for the audience to watch. She is also watching 'Frasier' on the TV and this intertextuality makes the scene relatable to many people's lives and experience,  again adding to the humour as people can laugh at themselves saying, "I've done that!" The fact that she is an easily relatable character makes her likeable from the start and the audience sympathises with her and wants her to get the happy ending she imagines. It also makes us more emotionally engaged in the film as we can feel second-hand-embarassment quite strongly as we sympathise and like the character. These cringe worthy moments the audience are heavily involved with are what gives the film a lot of it's humour.
The denotation of the phone with no new messages connotes her less than exciting home life and lack of social stimulation. This is emphasised by the lack of diegetic sounds showing that she's in her own social bubble without anyone to share her evenings with.

For most of the opening scene Bridget is sat/laid in the right-hand third of the screen with the fire in the centre and TV in the first third. This shows her life priorities as that is what your eye is drawn to in the scene.

 We almost instantly get a close-up of the TV again showing the importance of 'fantasy worlds' in her life as her own life isn't interesting enough. The fact that all we can see in this shot is the telly, board games and books connotes that Bridget spends a lot of time in the house without anything to do in the outside world. Board games are also associated with children and families which could suggest that she is holding onto what she had as a child for lack of love and comfort now. It could also show that, even though she's unhappy, she's not very good at moving on and doing something about it, hence why old board games are still stacked on her shelves.

That shot is the only variation we get of the original opening one, after the close-up of the TV and shelves we revert to the original view of the room and this is where the camera stays for the rest of the scene with Bridget just moving about within the frame. This could be boring for the viewer as there is very little visual interest but I think this was done deliberately to show the stagnant state of her life and how boring she finds it herself. The fact that she moves around within the frame could connote how she just stays within her comfort zone, never pushing the boundaries to do something new.

To see if there are any new messages she moves to the centre of the frame and towards the cameras so she's in the foreground. This could show her hopes that maybe something might change and she may be moving forwards in her life but there are no messages and she slumps out of the scene, away from the camera, defeated.

All the shots in the scene are quite long and drawn out and the transitions fade from one frame to another. This is reflective of how her life just slides from one phase to the next without much distinction or excitement and shows how nothing new or shocking has happened in her life for a very long time.
The structure of the opening sequence seems to be a metaphor for her entire life, moving at the pace her life does with the same level of excitement.

The overriding colour in the room is red - a colour that usually connotes love and passion but used in this context, simply highlights the lack of it in her life. It also creates a warm, cosy feel, again representative of how the room is her comfort zone, filled with warmth, blankets and cushions, all things associated with safety.

The phone in the foreground could show her desperation for a social life but hr inability to be able to reach out and grab it, its constantly out of reach.

Blankets and fires are denotations normally associated with the young and the old. This could connote how Bridget is slipping from being a child to an old lady without living a life in-between.
The almost overpowering red colouring could show how she feels trapped by her life and restricted by her job, her parents, her social circle etc.

Bridget herself sits smoking and drinking - both thing usually considered social - alone which connotes her lack of peer relationships. The rate at which she drinks the wine is also comical as it creates a desperate feeling of trying to escape reality through something usually drunk for pleasure.

At the end Bridget starts to sing and mime playing the instruments in the song we can hear. This draws the audience into the film and makes them feel involved because she's reacting to something normally the characters in the film can't hear and therefore, rather than distinctly separating the audience from the film character, the use of the shared sound rolls us into one. This also shows us that we're seeing the film from her perspective in first person which adds to it's relate-ability and the humour this provides.
The fact that the singing starts very subtly and building up to a full on performance at the chorus is very humorous due to the exaggeration used by the actor and adds to the drama of the titles being shown onscreen.

The font of the title is a peachy warm colour, complementing the overall red them of the set. It is also sans-serif possibly relating to the simplicity of her life.

We don't learn much about the actual content of Bridget's life, just that it's not all she wishes it was which creates a narrative enigma - who is she and why is she drinking on her own singing along to Cèline Dion?
All these signifiers combined make for a pretty clear genre - romantic comedy. We can see this in the comedic aspects (singing into a rolled up magazine) ad the choice of song which implies a wish for a love life. This hybridity makes for a wider target audience and appeal.

The credits roll along the sided of the action in the opening sequence in a yellowy colour (with connotations of happiness contrasted with the sad music fro comedic effect) with a handwriting like font which relate to the title and large aspect of the plot  - 'Bridget Jones' Diary'.

Film Opening 5 - Beauty and the Beast

Film 5 - Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast was made in 1991 by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures. It had a budget of around $25 million and made a gross profit of $424,967,620. The opening scene is about 2 minutes 20 seconds long.



The film starts with music as the main sound as well as some non-diegetic sound to set the scene e.g. the sound of a waterfall and birds tweeting. This creates an idilic soundscape usually associated to fairytales and therefore instantly connotes the genre - fairytale. This implies that it has a young target audience - children.

Two doves fly in front of the castle from one side of the screen to the other. Doves have connotations of love and this could foreshadow the future love of Belle and the Beast.

The transitions are all very soft, the shots fade in and out of each other which shows the continuity of the story and how easily the prince lost everything that was important to him. It also further connotes the fairytale genre.

About 22 seconds in the voiceover starts. The music doesn't stop it just quietens slightly to make the voice the main focus of our attention. The music, previously quite twinkly and high, also drops to a deeper pitch; this is suggestive of something bad or scary happening and brings down the fairytale mood the film initially had, possibly preparing the audience for a sad story.



The initial shot of the film is an establishing image of the castle in the woods. It is daytime and the sun is shining, all the colours are very bright giving it a welcoming, happy feel. The the camera zooms in towards the castle, eventually coming to rest on the stained glass window bringing it into the centre of the screen. The window is framed by vines giving it a feeling of importance and relevance to the story.

As the man tells us the story of the prince in the castle, images of the story are brought to life in the style of the stained glass window. This is reflective of the history of the castle and the secrets it holds within it's walls. The images also help the target audience - children - understand what's going on as they may find it difficult to follow a story without images.

When the story of how the prince came to be a beast is over we cut to present day - no longer stained glass still images - with a picture of the old prince. The beast reaches over from outside the frame and rips the picture showing us his violence and hate. The fact that he comes from where we can't see him shows that he's ashamed of how he looks and has become a recluse in the castle. It also shows how he's lurking in the background, no one knows he's there but the threat of his violence always hangs over them.

The long shot then pans across the room giving us a full picture of the Beast's appearance and passing him to focus on the enchanted rose which is framed in the centre of the screen. This connotes how the rose is the centre of the Beast's life, his constant reminder of the cold-heartedness that caused him to become a beast and the only thing that can save him. The fact that the rose is centre screen shows the audience how it will play a central part in the film as Belle has to love the Beast before the last petal falls.

The scene ends with the camera moving backwards from the castle holding the rose in the centre of the shots. This shows how, although he knows it's his only hope of being human again, the Beast simply cannot face the outside world and he's unable to escape his castle which has become a symbol of his pride.

After we hear the story of the prince the colours of the scene change; they become dark and gloomy which connotes how the prince's lavish lifestyle fell away to dust after he became the beast. It could also be a physical representation of the beast - as he became ugly so did his castle and everything he loved symbolising how he believes it impossible he will ever find love again.



All the shots in the scene are quite long and controlled. The stain glass stills are each held onscreen for quite a long period of time before they change making it feel almost like a controlled bedtime story rather than an action packed sequence. This could, again, be reflective of the target audience.

The scene begins with an establishing shot of the prince's castle, beautiful and light, and ends with an establishing shot of the Beast's castle, gloomy and dark. This gives a direct contrast to his life before and after the spell and exaggerates how much better it was before and why he would want to break it.

We learn a lot about the Beast and the plot in this scene. We find out his backstory and the rhetorical question at the end gives us a pretty good idea of what the plot of the film will be, "For who could ever learn to love a Beast?"

This line in the voiceover marks the transition into the title frame - it says, "Beauty," in a red, delicate font. Red has connotations of love and passion suggesting that she's the one who learns to love the beast. The word, "Beast," is in a brown, bold font showing his ugliness and lack of appeal. The font has serifs which could connote his complicated backstory and how there is more to him than meets the eye.

Film Opening 4 - Alien

Film 4 - Alien

Alien was made in 1979 by Ridley Scott, produced by Twentieth Century Fox and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. It had an estimated budget of $11 million and made can estimated $78, 900,000 in the US. The opening sequence is about 40 seconds long.



At the beginning there is silence and then, about 13 seconds in the computers spring to life and the diegetic sound kicks in. Throughout the entire sequence there is just the beeps and hums of the computer, there is no other sounds which suggests that there is no one else around. This makes the viewer uneasy as there is nothing to control the situation, something we don't have a developed knowledge of - the technology on what appears to be a spaceship) is the centre of the whole scene. This makes the audience wary of what is going on.
The initial beep that breaks the silence is high pitched and harsh. This shocks the viewer and makes them feel uncomfortable as it is a very unpleasant sound. It also similar to the sound of alarms making the viewer on edge as they feel something is wrong.

At the end the sound just stops and everything goes back to how it was initially. This creates a narrative enigma as the audience wonders what on earth has happened and how it will effect the people on board the ship. It also makes us feel very uncomfortable as we know something the characters don't which could put them in danger however we have no way of letting them know what's happened.

The first thing we see is a montage of shots of the spaceship. There are a lot of buttons, wires and screens - complex technology for it's time. This could make the viewer feel uncomfortable because they don't understand the set and there is seemingly a lot of things that could go wrong.

Apart from the establishing shot of the control room the camera flits between close-ups of the computer system and a red button that appears to be protected by a plastic case. We can just about make out the word, "Emergency," which, again, puts the reader on edge as red buttons have connotations with danger or panic, especially when they're emblazoned with a word that is suggestive of things going wrong.

When the computer comes on the screen and the buttons surrounding it are reflected in the plastic cover of the emergency button. This implies that whatever is happening to the computer is wrong and dangerous.

The room appears to be empty however there are slight bits of movement (apart from the actions on the screen). For example a rod is swinging just behind the red button. This movement is unnerving as we don't know what could have caused it - it seems like there is no one in the room. It also disturbs the frame as everything else is so still and creates a feeling of unease, suggesting that something isn't quite right.

The colours in the scene are all very dark and muted, presumably because the ship is in space. This creates a feeling of tension as we can't properly see what's going on in the scene. Dark colours also denote danger and an unseen threat which gives the viewer a sense of impending doom. When the lights come on they are bright and colourful so greatly contrast to the rest of the set, again connoting that what is going on is unplanned and not right.

 

The technical sounds, complicated equipment and technology and set all signify a sci-fi film. However there is also darkness and things moving in the background which could also suggest a horror or thriller film. This is called hybridity and gives the film a wider appeal as it relates to two target audiences.

There is very little shot variety in the scene which makes it quite repetitive however this could be a deliberate move by the director to reinforce the idea that something is happening that is out of the control of the people on board the ship. It could also be reflective of the film's age and the limited resources available.

Film Opening 3 - Casino Royale

Film 3 - Casino Royale

Casino Royale was made in 2006 by Martin Campbell, produced by Columbia Pictures and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing and Columbia Pictures. It had an estimated budget of around $150 million and made a gross profit of $599,045,960. The opening sequence is about 4 minutes 30 seconds long.



We start the scene with very little non-diegetic sound, it's just very faint in the background. the overwhelming sounds are diegetic - the car pulling up outside the building and his footsteps in the corridor. This builds tension as we know something's waiting for him when he reaches his office. The music builds in moments of tension e.g. when he notices Bond in his office or when he opens the draw to reveal his gun. This heightens the tension and makes the audience feel uncomfortable. When Bond speaks the music dies down to almost nothing. This causes the audience to subconsciously (as well as consciously) like and feel safer around him because he relieves the tension - the music.



When we go into the flashback there is no initial diegetic sound, just the sound of the crowd and the footsteps of the cricket players on the field. Then, when the man in the crowd sees Bond, the music strikes up to build tension as they move through the stands. This is very reflective of how music is used throughout the opening, it is there to build and relieve tension as the scene needs it to, not to provide a general feeling or overall mood. This means it is more noticeable to the audience as it clearly stops and builds, making them aware that something's going to happen and therefore putting them on edge before anything has even started.



On top of the music in the flashback we also have some diegetic sounds such as cricket wickets being knocked off and the crowd cheering. These are quite harsh and violent sounds that foreshadow the upcoming violence in the scene.


Then, as Bond and the presumed villain fight, the music and diegetic (punches, bangs and crashes) sounds build making the audience uncomfortable and stressed then, in the change back to the present, the sounds immediately cut out jolting us back into the present day after being totally engrossed in the action. This is almost disorientating for the audience and can make us feel out of control, this is heightened by the immediate sound and image of a gun which has negative, violent and frightening connotations.
Then when the scene cuts back to the flashback the music and diegetic sounds instantly come back on together, hitting the audience like a wave of sound, shocking them and making them feel tense  and scared. The music builds as Bond drowns the man and then stops again when he dies, signifying that the threat is gone.
There is a second surge of sound in the present day, again shaking the audience from the comfort of the quiet, which could symbolise the significance of his death in the film.
At the very end of the sequence we cut back to the flashback and Bond points his gun at the camera (in the place of the 'villain') and shoots, cueing the immediately recognisable and powerful theme tune showing the return of Bond and his victory over the first two characters introduced. The fact that the tune is so familiar and strongly linked to a single character reminds the audience what film they're watching and makes them root for the well known character even when they know nothing about his plan or story for this film. It rallies support for him and makes the viewer enthusiastic and excited to see what he's going to do next.



The shots in this opening sequence vary, we start with an establishing shot and then move to a mixture of full length shots and close-ups as we follow the newly introduced character through the building. We know nothing about him but watching him from behind and from seemingly under a table males the viewer feel like they shouldn't be there and makes us wary of his intentions.

We first meet Bond from a shot over the man's shoulder. This shows us he is a spy and follows and hides from people; it also connotes that he's invaded the man's space and has been watching him for a while but the man never looked behind him (physical and symbolically) to see.

We then get a close-up of inside the man's draw showing a gun, this has connotations of danger and violence making the audience feel on edge and scared.

All the shots from the office conversation are very long and and still. This is like the calm before the storm and could reflect how both men are being very still and controlled in order to not give anything away. It also lures the audience into a false sense of security as there is no hectic or fast paced semiotics, everything is very slow and controlled. This could also reflect how the audience has no need to worry, Bond is in control of the whole situation as he has the ammunition for the gun.
The lack of extreme close-ups also makes the audience feel more in control as they can see what's around them and prepare for anything that might jump out.

In the flashback we get a montage of shots showing the game of cricket, this could be to establish the scenario but may also foreshadow the more fast-paced action that is to come. When the bowler bowls the camera follows his feet running on the ground and shakes with the impact of his weight on the grass. This unsteady camera work could connote that something's not right in the scene and imply that there is action to come (with the close-up running).

When the 'villain' first notices Bond he is sat in the outside stand in direct sunlight in the centre of the shot making him very easy to identify.

Bond, however, is standing in the shade of one of the stands with people in front of him and is slightly to the right of the screen. This could show his higher level of skills as a spy as he is more difficult to spot and also tells the audience that he doesn't want to be seen and is therefore on a mission, not there for pleasure. The fact that he is not totally in the last third of the shot but also not quite centre shows how he an slip under the radar and suggests that something isn't right with the situation that Bond is going to fix.

We then have an unsteady shot following the man out of the stands connoting that Bond is following him out and that the man is uneasy and starting to blow his cover, he is being careless.

We see Bond enter the bathroom over the man's shoulder, showing again that Bond is one step ahead of him and foreshadowing he man's defeat.

The fight scene is made up of a montage of mid and close-up shots in quick succession. They are from a variety of angles making the scene feel hectic and uncontrolled reflecting the struggle of the fight for the two characters.

When we cut back to modern day we go back to the more controlled, still shots but here are more close-ups to show the character's reactions to the pulling out of a gun the realisation that it isn't loaded.

Back in the flashback after Bond kills the man we get a very long shot held on a close-up of his face. We already know that this is his first kill so it marks the moment as significant as he deals with the feeling of taking a life. The camera is steadier than in the fight showing how he's calmer and more collected now that he's won but it's not totally steady showing how he is slightly uneasy with what he's just done and how he's battling with the guilt of taking a life.

When the man in the present is shot by bond we get a quick succession of shots, one that almost seems to follow the bullet that is very fast paced and then one from high up that shows him falling off his chair. This could connote the significance of the man's death to the plot but is more likely to highlight how this was Bond's second kill, officially making him a double O.

At the very end of the scene he points his gun directly at the camera as he shoots firing us into the famous title sequence, this involves the audience in the action and makes us feel excited for what is to come.

The fast paced fighting of the flashback makes it pretty clear that it is an action film but the relatively complicated dialogue at the beginning shows the more intricate spy plot of the film.

All the opening sequence is in black and white which could be a nod to how long the Bond films have been going on as this is the start of a new era in the films - Daniel Craig as James Bond. It also grabs the audience's attention as it is unusual in modern films and makes us want to know more about what's going on.



Daniel Craig is always dressed in a suit which is part of his character's look and fits in with his calm and collected attitude throughout the scene.

The man in the flashback s dressed in a patterned shirt, again denoting his low level of discretion and his hectic and unorganised approach to his job.

The man in the present is also wearing a suit to show his professional status which is referenced by both him and Bond.

The whole scene is one big narrative enigma. We see the protagonist and find out that secrets have been let out but other than that we don't find out the rest of the plot, why Bond was there or how he found out about the rogue employee. It grabs the audience into the film with loads of questions we are desperate to know the answers to.