Title of the film: The title and credits of my opening are displayed within the scene rather than using text that is added during the editing process. This is not as common in film openings but it is an effective method of displaying titles, the opening of Napoleon Dynamite uses this method which is where I got some of my inspiration from, although the titles are very different and are displayed on their own, rather than incorporated into the narrative.
The title is displayed at the end of the opening which is quite unusual but I had to have it this way because the title fades into the last scene of the opening. The credits are written in scruffy handwriting, in black pen, which fits with the dark gloomy mise en scene of the rest of the opening.
Setting and Location: The majority of my opening is shot in the characters bedroom, this is quite common in films and it shows the character performing simple tasks like getting up and getting dressed. I have developed this conventional opening style by introducing more of the narrative towards the end when the character finds the address. Although it is in the background, the bedroom is very important in my opening because the messiness and disorganisation represents the state of the character, this is also a very common technique of introducing characters in the opening. Lots of films use a similar setting but they are usually films of a different genre like more girly films, there is some exceptions for example Control opens into a bedroom scene and the mise en scene and mood is quite similar to my opening.
Costumes and props: The costume of my character is quite plain and dark coloured, which fits with the mise en scene and reflects the characters mood, this is a common convention in almost every film because the costumes can establish a lot about the character, for example their job, social class, wealth and regional identity.
I don't have many props in my opening but the piece of paper that has an address written on it is a very important prop and sets up the story for the rest of the film, props are quite important in the opening because, like costumes they can also tell us a lot about the character, but I have chosen to not use many props and not give too much away so the viewers are enticed and intrigued by my opening.
Camerawork and editing: Most of my shots are medium, or close up shots to give the impression that the character is very enclosed and trapped, which represents the theme for the rest of the story. The cuts are quite slow so it looks like an opening and not a trailer, a lot of openings are very slow cut.
Story and how the opening sets it up: The opening doesn't give away much of the story at all but it shows the address which is key element in the story although it doesn't explain the significance of it in the opening, this makes it more effective because it makes the viewer want to see more as there are unanswered questions.
Genre and how the opening suggests it: The Genre of my film is a drama which is based around one central character. The opening of my film is very slow cut and there is no high paced action scenes that you might find in a crime or action film. The main focus of the opening is to introduce the central character and the general mood for the film, rather than introducing the story straightaway, this is quite common in drama films as the story progresses quite slowly as opposed to action films where everything is quite fast and action packed.
How characters are introduced: The main character is introduced right at the beginning of the opening when he wakes up and the opening follows him getting up and leaving the house, this is very common in openings because the setting, costumes and props can show a lot about the characters personality without any dialogue.
How does your media product represent social groups?: The main social group represented in my film is teenagers/young adults, the main character who is introduced in the opening is aged 17. The costume he is wearing helps to portray him as a teenager because he is wearing simple jeans and t-shirt which is typical of teenagers and less common in older people. Also, in the bedroom, the posters on the wall are of bands that are very popular amongst the younger generation, and the bedroom is very untidy which is a stereotypical attribute of a teenager.
What kind of media institution might distribute yo ur media product and why? Momentum Pictures are a UK based film distributor. I have chosen them to distribute my film because they work with lots of British films rather than Hollywood blockbusters and they have distributed 'Control' which was one of the biggest influences for my opening.
Who would be the audience for your media product?: I think that teenagers and young adults between the ages of 16 and 25 would be the target audience for my film. People who like more serious drama type films but also want a character that they can relate to on some level.
How did you attract/address your audience?
In my opening, the character suddenly wakes up and seems very distressed which immediately makes the audience question why and makes them want to see more. Later on, when he finds the piece of paper with and address on, there is no explanation as to where the address is or why it is so important which leaves more unanswered questions, and finally the character packs a bag and leaves at the end of the opening. I did not have any dialogue in my opening and my character was rather mysterious so I didn't give away too much information, so the viewers would have to watch further to unfold the rest of the story.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?: I have learnt how to use the video cameras to film and watch back my footage before editing. I used imovie to trim and edit the clips together, as well as change the lighting and put effects on the shots for example on he last shot I used the 'day to night' effect so it gradually became darker, I also used imovie to put in titles, fade outs and music, which I imported via itunes.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?: I have learnt how to use the video cameras to film and watch back my footage before editing. I used imovie to trim and edit the clips together, as well as change the lighting and put effects on the shots for example on he last shot I used the 'day to night' effect so it gradually became darker, I also used imovie to put in titles, fade outs and music, which I imported via itunes.
I learnt to use blogger and post regular updates on the progress of my work and to keep track of my planning and development of ideas.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?:
I learnt the 180 degree rule and how to compose shots properly when I was doing my prelimnary task, this helped me a lot when creating my final product because I made sure all of the shots looked professional and I maintained continuity throughout which is very important in making my film look realistic. In my final product I learn the importance of shooting each shot at least twice giving you lots more footage to work with when editing, to make sure that I had enough to complete the full opening and to make sure every shot was good.
