Evaluation of AOTT Activity

1. Summarise your film idea. Provide a brief synopsis and outline what happens in your film opening.

In our opening sequence the idea was that the protagonist was a student who was supposedly being followed by an evil spirit in the form of a teddy. In fact the teddy is just part of his imagination, even though it seems capable of dealing harm. In the opening the protagonist is shown during a school day, first entering the school grounds, then on the field, then in a corridor, and then finally in the bathroom, all the while the teddy gets closer and closer


2. What kind of information has been included in your film opening? 

Our film opening informed the audience about the main character, how he is isolated even in such a regular and busy environment, and also showed the teddy, the graphical effects connoting the evil aura of it.


3. How do the titles link the main film idea?

The titles link to the main film idea as they are in they are in white, a common occurrence among horror films. The titles display information such as the director, and also "based on a true story" - this immediately gives more weight to the story the film is going to tell. The final title is black with blood-red outline to link to the gory nature of the film.


4. Summarise the expected audience reaction. What should the audience be thinking by the end of your opening? Is your opening clear or ambiguous?

Our opening is fairly clear to the audience in describing the story, they would definitely understand the fact that the teddy is evil, (emphasised especially by him chomping on the protagonist's neck in the last shot), however they may well not be enlightened to the fact that the teddy is actually just in the protagonists mind. This could act in the film's favour though as the audience may believe the main character has died in the film, so then can slowly learn and understand the real truth of the story throughout the actual film.


5. Identify three things that you included in your grid that are important in the construction of an opening sequence and explain their role in understanding the film.

We included abstract shots to emphasise the protagonists isolation from everyone, this coupled with the cool blue tone of the images connotes a sterile, harsh environment, alienating the well-known school environment.
The teddy getting closer in the shots was important in the construction of the opening as it keeps it moving along, so the audience can see what it is and not get bored.
The mirror shots are very cliche shots, one moment there's nothing there, the next something horrible is happening. This strongly connotes the horror genre to the audience, and also constructs a kind of cliff-hanger for the film itself to then deconstruct and explain.

6. How effective is your project as a film opening? Explain your answer.

I think our project is quite effective as a film opening, it follows many of the conventions of horror film openings, however we could have done with a better establishing shot to set the scene. We could also have done better varying our shot types, as although the teddy gets closer in each shot, the framing of the protagonist is very similar in all but the last two. Our project may also have worked better if we hadn't had the protagonist being killed in the last shot, as this may be a little to extreme of a plot development for an opening sequence.

Accident Sequence

       
           1. To aid the narrative flow of the sequence, we tried to follow the appropriate rules, such

               as the 30 degree rule. Our first shot was a wide-angle establishing shot of the location, 

               to let the audience take in the setting. We then moved to an M.C.U of the conversation,

               and then an L.S. of Iggy skipping, the shot accompanied by a slow reverse zoom. These

               small changes in the type of shot allow the audience to follow the action without

               becoming confused. We also tried to create match-on-action when Iggy falls over, 

               having him fall in one shot and then hit the ground in a C.U the next shot, however we

               failed to get it in sync as we could not edit the footage after shooting.

           2. In hindsight, the first, (establishing), shot would've looked better without the slight pan,

               as that makes the stable shot seem jerky. The change from shot 2 to shot 3 may have

               looked better if we had panned left and zoomed in on the doorway, as although the 

               establishing shot showed the doors, they can easily be forgotten. Shot 3 also ends far 

               too late, Iggy waves at where we were sitting at the bench, but then the shot carries on

               whilst he lowers his arm, then in the next shot we see him waving again. This totally

               breaks the rules for match-on-action as the result is we see him doing the action twice.

               The 4th and 5th shots also have this issue when Iggy falls, it wouldn't make any sense

               to the audience that he falls twice. Finally, in the last shot, continuity could've been 

               better if we'd been looking in the correct direction as we were laughing, something I

               point out during the shot, another thing ruining the narrative flow.

Film Opening Analysis

Film name: The Conjuring (2013)

Genre: Horror

Setting: Victims' home, Lecture theatre

Time Scale: Cuts from past to present a few times

10 min opening narrative: The film begins by showing one of Ed and Lorraine's previous cases, cutting between the two victims being interviewed about the events, the actual events themselves, and the recording of the interview being played in a lecture theatre.

There is then a title roll in which the main case of the film is introduced, then we are transported to the house of the main case, where the new occupants are just arriving.

Do the events link to eachother, or are they distinct, unconnected events?

The events are all related via the paranormal theme, and they are connected by the two main characters.

Which characters are introduced, and what are their roles in the film? How do we find this information out?

Ed and Lorraine are introduced as two of the main characters, they are here to solve problems with demonic hauntings, one of the main ways we learn about them is through the text on screen. We are also introduced to the two girls in the Annabelle case, however we are not given much information about them as they are not central to the plot. Finally, we are learn about the spirit which is causing the strange events in the Annabelle case, through the interview dialogue we learn that the spirit may not really have meant harm.

How much story information is revealed, and how is it revealed to the audience?

A small amount of story information is revealed, we are introduced to what Ed and Lorraine do, which infers their importance in the rest of the film. We are also introduced to the Annabelle doll, which is also integral to the film's plot further in.

My Film Still

1) Analyse your chosen shot and identify in what way it could be described as signifying your chosen genre.
This shot is a C.U. of a person with lights above their shoulders.
The bright lights/lens flare is synonymous with sci-fi, light illuminates the character while the rest of the frame is in darkness.

2) What did you actually do to achieve the effect?
To achieve this effect, we placed lights facing directly at camera to cause the camera to darken the entire frame, resulting in a darker background.
Two members of the group held the lights above the character.

3) How did you intend the audience to 'read' or interpret your still - what meanings were you attempting to communicate?
The darkness of the shot signifies the unknown.
The bright lights connote imagery of high-tech equipment surrounding the character; the character is hooded and facing away from the camera to add a sense of mystery.

4) Identify what is successful about your shot
The lighting was relatively well done to create the desired dark and light juxtaposition within the frame.
The framing of the shot itself is also good as one can envisage the character turning around and revealing themselves to the audience within the next few moments, in which case their face would be the perfect focal image.

5) What would you differently in hindsight?
In hindsight, the lighting could've been done better - the light on the right of the shot still has one of the filters on it whereas the other hasn't, we should've either had both filters on or both filters on to construct a more balanced shot.
Another possible change, also in relation to the lighting, would be to have stood further away from the lockers in the background, or tinkered with the camera setting more to darken the shot so the lockers didn't appear.