RA: Technical analysis

A technical analysis is a shot by shot dissection of a film opening, which investigates the types of shot used, the duration of each take, and the mise-en-scene.


The Ring (Verbinski, 2002)



Shot: Establishing shot, slow panDuration: 4 secondsMise-en scene: A woman shown in rule of thirds. The setting is a stereotypical suburban house
Shot: CU of the woman's faceDuration: 7 seconds.Mise-en-scene: The close-up shows her fearful NV language.
Shot: POV shot revealing the living roomDuration: 9 secondsMise-en-scene: The television is on, showing a fuzzy, blank screen.
Shot: Mid-shot, the protagonist walks towards cameraDuration: 6 secondsMise-en-scene: Again showing the fearful expression on her face.
Shot: Shot-reverse-shot; CU of remote, mid-shot of protagonist, to televisionDuration: 6 seconds.Mise-en-scene: Television goes blank.
Shot: Mid-shot becomes long shot as the protagonist walks toward the kitchen. Then zooms in to CU of her face.Duration: 23 seconds.Mise-en-scene: The television turns back on, shown via the reflection on a window. CU shows her reaction.
Shot: CU of her face, wipe pan to kitchen windowsDuration: 8 secondsMise-en-scene: The lighting is dim, creating an ominous and scary atmosphere.
Shot: POV opening of the fridge doorDuration: 3 secondsMise-en-scene: The opening of the fridge is motivation for her investigating of the kitchen
Shot: CUDuration: 14 secondsMise-en-scene: Close-up shows the inside of the fridge door. The protagonist frantically shuts the door- coming into shot- and breathes fearfully. She then reacts to a noise. Focus switches to the corridor behind her.
Shot: Establishing shot of the new location, protagonist walks into shotDuration: 18 secondsMise-en-scene: Dialogue as she looks around verbally expresses her panic. She runs up the stairs.
Shot: A low angle shot long shot of the protagonist at the top of the stairsDuration: 21 secondsMise-en-scene: There is blood on the floor outside of a lit room. The protagonist walks towards the camera (in the room), stepping in the blood
Shot: CU of protagonists face as she opens doorDuration: 6 secondsMise-en-scene: She slowly moves forward
Shot: CU of handle as she opens the doorDuration: 1 secondMise-en-scene: The handle is shown to be dripping with a liquid
Shot: Fast zoom to her face as she walks through the doorDuration: 5 secondsMise-en-scene: The television is showing a strange image. The woman's NV language changes, as if possessed by the image. She has now become the antagonist, as the audience have gone from being positioned with her to being positioned against her. A fast montage of strange images is shown, before fading to a blank television screen once again.

Soundtrack

• There is no music underlying the action. Silence is used to create tension, as well as complimenting the narrative of the protagonist being alone in the house. 
• Diagetic sound is used in the form of her dialogue, and other natural sounds, such as the creaking of her footsteps as she climbs the stairs. These sounds have been emphasised to heighten the suspense, for example, the sound of the window opening on it's own.
• Atmosphere and dramatic tension are creating through the recurring sound of the white-noise from the blank television.
• Enigma is created in the form of the sound in the last few seconds of the clip, as a montage of strange images with a very fast cutting rate is shown. The sound has multiple dimensions; a low scraping sound, combined with a high pitched ringing, and the white-noise of a blank television once again. This is emphasised through the contrast with the silence throughout the rest of the opening, as this is the first piece of non-diagetic sound in the opening.

What have you learnt from this technical analysis? 

• The mise-en-scene within this extract is very effective, particularly the use of lighting. The lighting is dim and dark, which not only creates a believable night time, but compliments the eerie atmosphere that the opening is aiming to create. One aspect of the lighting that I felt was really effective was the use of shadows, notably in the shot of the protagonist climbing the stairs, and the lighting from under the door towards the end of the sequence, connoting a supernatural element.
• The iconography of a fuzzy television screen is very effective in hooking the audience, as it is an image which is present in day-to-day life, therefore creating that feeling of empathy and verisimilitude, where the audience can imagine this situation happening to themselves. The fact that this is a repeating image throughout the opening means that tension is heightened each time we see it, and having the image of the screen shown so early on in the opening, when later it will be the cause of the possession of the protagonist, is an effective and clever use of foreshadowing.

Group: Preliminary task

Preliminary task brief:
Our task was to create a section of film which demonstrated our abilities and skills in certain areas of filming and editing. The four required aspects were:

• Include the opening a door 
• Include at least 2 lines of dialogue 
• Editing with continuity 
• Adhering to the 180 degree rule 

What did you learn about filming? What are your best shots? What difficulties did you encounter?

• We learnt that it is always best to do multiple takes of one shot, so that you have more leeway when editing in terms of continuity and other factors.
• We experienced first hand how long it can take to film a simple sequence, which will be a useful aspect to understand when filming our final opening.
• I feel the handicam shots, particularly from below the bridge and behind the fence, were really successful, as they create the feeling that our protagonist is being watched.
• Another one of our best shots in this task is the final shot, a low angle shot of mysterious feet walking into view behind our protagonist. This was successful as it creates enigma, as this is the first other person we have seen in this sequence.
• We encountered many difficulties with sound when filming this sequence. We filmed the corridor scene while classes were taking place, which meant that there was some background noise of talking when ideally the scene would have been silent other than the protagonists dialogue. The noise of traffic was also very loud during some of the outside shots, which did not fit with the atmosphere we were attempting to create with this task.

What did you learn about editing? What did you do in post-production that was successful?

• Neither of us had used Adobe Premiere before, so this exercise helped us to gain experience and understanding of the software.
• We learnt about the important of precision in continuity editing. In some cases, trimming a clip by a fraction of a second could be the difference between a transition looking smooth, and it looking out of sync.
• I feel that we achieved this very well, particularly in the opening, where we have six different shots within the first 13 seconds, edited together with a reasonably fast cutting rate.
• We also slightly slowed the speed of the footage in the corridor scene when the light is turning on. This is because the actual light turned on very fast, which didn't compliment the slow, tense atmosphere we were aiming to create.

Evaluate your production. What are the strengths and weaknesses? What tips would you therefore give yourself for the opening sequence production?

• I feel that our main strengths in the opening were our use of a diverse range of inventive shots and angles, which not only demonstrated our camera skills but created a professional-looking piece.
• I also feel that the continuity within our piece is of a good standard, meaning that both our filming and editing was efficient and thought-out.
• The main weakness within our preliminary task was definitely the issues with sound and background noise.
• Therefore we can improve in our next project by filming in secluded locations and away from roads.
• We may also consider using a boom mic for our final piece, so that our dialogue is clear and background noise is reduced.

Group: Preliminary Filming Evaluation

In today's lesson, we filmed around school for our preliminary task. This was our first shoot working in this group, so we have learnt many valuable techniques and methods, as well as improving our filming skills. However, we did encounter some difficulties, which we hope to learn from as we continue the course.


How have you improved your filming skills?

• We hadn't used the school cameras much before, so the practice in setting up the tripods, framing shots, and general filming with the cameras was beneficial.

• We now have a greater appreciation of how to create continuity. It is vitally important to know exactly what your actors are doing in every segment of the scene, as you'll need to film the same part multiple times from different angles and distances, so any differences in non-verbal language will destroy verisimilitude.

What difficulties have you encountered?

• One of the main problems we encountered was with sound. Two locations were outside, and the other was in a corridor in the school. In the outside shots, the sound of wind and traffic was very obvious, and during the corridor scene the sound of lessons taking place could be heard in the background. It may have been better to mute the video, and use digagetic sound for things like footsteps and creaking doors.

Group: Concept Development

We have decided to make our opening of the horror genre.
We are also considering a film of the zombie/slasher subgenre, with a female protagonist.

Group: Lighting

What issues are there with auto-exposure?
If you are shooting outside with auto-exposure on, the iris of the camcorder will open up but if a person passes a window, the iris will detect the daylight and close down so the subject will appear in silhouette while the scene outside the window will be perfectly exposed, so you want to work with the auto-exposure rather than against it as you want the exposure to be constant.

What is backlight?
Backlight is a control that opens the iris of the camera an f-stop or so above that set by the auto-iris. While this may overexpose the lightest areas of the scene, at least the subject will be properly exposed.

What are ways that you can control exposure manually?
You can manually change the exposure by reducing or increasing the aperture of the camera which will enable you to experiment with the tonal levels and free you from using additional lighting sources if you are shooting with poor light. Make sure the brightness levels of the LCD screen are calibrated with the exposure settings of the camera otherwise you could be misled by what the screen is telling you. Another way of manually changing the exposure is by experimenting with the depth of field. This is the distance in front of and beyond the subject that appears to be in focus. A large aperture will give a shallow depth of field whereas small aperture will give a deep depth of field.

What are the different basic shooting modes?
There are three basic shooting modes. The first one is colour slow shutter. This keeps the shutter open for longer to let in more light, but blurs movement and produces as trailing effect. The second mode is night mode. This also gives you a brighter picture of you are shooting in low light however it can result in jerky movements as the shutter remains open for longer. The final mode is infrared night mode. This mode will shoot in total darkness giving a green tinge to footage and a negative effect.

Why might you need to adjust the white balance?
The colour quality of light can vary from scene to scene which creates inconsistency which cause problems in editing and could disorientate the audience. Most cameras have an automatic colour temperature correction feature however this is not foolproof and quick movements from indoors to outdoors may result in the camera having a delayed colour balance shift which can look messy, so by adjusting the white balance, it will tell the camcorder what they colour white looks like so it will base all other colours on this to produce an accurate colour temperature of the scenes that are being shot.

Group: Sound

What type of microphone do camcorders have and what issues does it throw up?
Most camcorders have an inbuilt omnidirectional microphone that captures sound from all directions.  However, this also means that it will pick up and amplify all background noise.

When filming, what sounds do you need to take care with?

• Breathing, sniffing or talking from whoever is filming, as their mouth will be only a few inches away from the camera's inbuilt microphone.
• Finger noise from pressing buttons near the microphone. 
• The wind. To prevent the camera from picking up too much wind noise, you can put it on a 'wind reducer' setting.
• Hums and buzzes from other electrical equipment nearby. To prevent this when filming, check that any unneeded electrical equipment in the area switched off.

HR: Conventions of film noir

The film noir period stretches from early 1940s to the late 1950s The key features of film noir are:

• Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas.
• It usually emphasises moral ambiguity and sexual motivation.
• It is often described as essentially pessimistic that are seen as depicting a world that is inherently corrupt.
• They tend to use low-key lighting schemes producing a light/dark contrast and dramatic shadow patterning, this includes Venetian blinds or banister rods - they are an iconic visual in film noir.
• Character's faces are partially or wholly in darkness to give an obscured feel to the scene.
• The camera techniques of film noir are usually tilted, low-angle shots and wide angle lenses.
• Other devices of disorientation are common such as shots of people reflected in one or more mirrors or shots through curved or frosted glass.
• Film noirs tend to have unusually convoluted story lines that involve techniques such as flashbacks and flash-forwards.
• The narrative is often focused on crime
• The characters featured are morally flawed, misunderstood characters. One of these is the femme fatale who is filmed for her sexuality and presented as empowered, but rarely survives at the end of the film. Visual motifs associated with this character include wispy trails of smoke.

Brick (Johnson, 2006)

• All the obscure angles from the opening help to make this clip teen noir as it creates a sense of mystery as half of the shots of the teenagers face is of him covering up his face so we cannot see his expression, whether he is shocked, sad or thinking as he is in a crouching position looking at the body lying by the stream
• The location is set in a sewer and there is a cave in the middle of the shot which is part of film noir as shadows into darkness make the audience wonder what is through the cave
• A flashback is used - this is a device often used in film noir to help explain the complex scenario.
• As film noir is connected with crime, clues are set throughout the opening to create enigma for the audience. For example, when the piece of paper drops from his locker to show a time and location, or when the cigarette is thrown out of the car window to show him the direction to go (cigarettes are another aspect of film noir)
• The opening titles are a white serif font on a black background. Not only does this make it look solid like a brick, it gives it a crime theme as it stands out from the screen. Black and white are commonly used colours in film noir as it ages the clip and makes it obscure due to the lack of colours.

HR: Conventions of a film opening

The conventions that you would expect to see in a horror film opening are the following:

• The setting is usually in small communities or isolated places such as dark streets, narrow alleyways or ghost towns - anything that connotes isolation and being alone. Also places with a dark history such as an insane asylum or abandoned buildings are a common theme as well.
• The camera work is filmed in unnatural angles to connote fear and make the scene appear obscure.
• Non-diagetic sounds are very commonly used like footsteps or the sound of a heart beating to help build up tension
• ECU shots of the protagonist or antagonist eyes help the audience to identify with them as true emotions are said to be seen best through eyes. It can also be manipulative.
• The pace of editing is important too. If the pace of the editing has not been sped up in a while, the audience knows that something is going to happen so the suspense is not as effective.
• Dark colours are used to make links towards evil, blood and danger so that is why red, black and white are the usual colour schemes.
• Lighting is expressive and non naturalistic. Low level lighting helps to create dark shadows and unfamiliar shapes in the darkness.

The normal characters you would expect to see in a horror film opening are:

• The hero
• The villain
• The immoral character who gets killed
• Children (they can be a victim or the villain)

Seven (Fincher, 1995)

In the following extract from Seven, we can see that it has a lot of features that are linked to the conventions of a horror film opening.

• It is shot in close up so we never see the characters face in the extract, only his hands which gives the obscure feel as we do not know if he is a good or bad character. It also sets up mystery for the viewer. The way that he is constructing what appears to be a scrapbook creates an enigma for the audience as the cuts are fast paced.
• The sound is a high pitched scratchy soundtrack that is mechanical, but rhythmic which could reflect the cutting and sticking he is doing in the clip so what he is doing is repetitive.
• The colours of the clip are saturated so the audience only see the dominant dark colours commonly used in horror films (black, red and white)
• The font of the text reflects on what he is doing as it looks handwritten. Some of it is broad and on a black background with white font, but other moments it is over layed over the clip.
• There are religious associations such as him cutting out the word "God" so we know that there is a spiritual background behind this which can be portrayed as haunting.

The Ring (Verbinski, 2002)

In the following extract from The Ring, we can see that it has a lot of features that are linked to the conventions of a horror film opening:

• There are close up shots of the victim's face which helps to show the emotions she is feeling which in this clip is fear of the noises she is hearing in her house. These is a non-diagetic sound of the TV static so the audience are aware that this is a key feature of what is about to happen.
• There is silence as you are forced to listen out for any sudden noises or movements which keeps audiences on the edge of their seats as the suspense builds they are anxious of what the next shot will be.
• She is alone in a house which connotes obscurity as she is oblivious to her surroundings which makes the audience feel anxious.
• As she opens the door with the water coming out of it, the pace of the clip changes from slow to fast. As the TV zooms out, the camera zooms in on her face to show her demonic face which makes audiences scared as they were not expecting this. Horrific still images are shown extremely quickly so some of them will subconsciously stick in the audiences minds which will horrify them.

RA: Conventions of a film opening

As an introduction to understanding the components and conventions of a film opening, we have researched a few openings from films of the horror genre.

The Amityville Horror (Douglas, 2005)

• The films beings with an intertitle stating: "Based on the true story," as white font on a black background. The date is also displayed at the bottom left corner of the screen, but overlayed on the footage. Both texts use a typerwriter-style font, anchoring the time period of the piece; 1974.
• The mise-en-scene of the opening is very dark and mysterious - the lighting is dim except for flashes of lightning, and the colouring is neuted and sepia toned. The scene is set late at night, and the flashes of lightning and use of thunder sound-effects suggest stormy weather.
• The victim with the most prevalence is the little girl, Jodie. This use of children, particularly a young girl, connotes vulnerability and innocence, making her death more emotive for the audience.
• The opening contains many uses of iconography, including:
- An alarm clock reading '13'

- A religious book; "Evil is Proof of God" 

- A gun 

- And the young girl's teddy bear, which again emphasizes her innocence

• Another piece of iconography is the old house in which the opening is set. It is gothic and victorian looking, giving an eerie feel. It also looks to be in an isolated location, stereotypical for the setting of a horror film.
• The soundtrack of the opening is low and understated music, with a heart-beat like rhythm. The near silence creates tension and suspense.
• Notable uses of diagetic sound include the voice-over whispering "kill," the gunshots, and the stereotypical creaking of floorboards.
• Low angle close up shows the antagonist's legs as he climbs the stairs, holding a gun, to kill the little girl. Extreme close up is used to show the reflection of the television screen in the man's eyes near the beginning of the opening, connoting his insanity.
• Enigma is created when Ronnie, the killer, tells the little girl, "I love you, Jodie," before shooting her.

Dawn of the Dead (Snyder, 2004)
http://www.artofthetitle.com/2008/06/30/dawn-of-the-dead/

• Montage editing, including many shots of newsreaders and news reporters, is used to show the zombie epidemic spreading around the world, introducing the theme of the film. A fast cutting rate is used for most of this, creating a fast-paced and chaotic feel.
• The credits and titles are presented in the form of red text on a black background. The colour red is frequently used in the horror genre because of its connotations of blood, which is emphasized is this opening as the text fades with a dripping blood effect.
• The establishing shot is of many people praying- immediately introducing the religious associations, which is a notable theme in many horror films. 
• Many different types of close-up are used to show the people infected with the zombie virus, and a scientific aspect is introduced through the use of footage of cells dividing.
• The soundtrack, however, is unconventional for a horror opening as it uses folk music with an upbeat feel.

We aim to include many of these techniques in our opening, to clearly anchor the genre of the film as horror.