Audience and Institutions Essay

Audience and Institutions Essay

5) In relation to the media area you have studied, discuss the ways audience consumption has changed over time.

The way audiences consume films has changed incredibly over the years. With the rise of streaming, this is especially true. Once, people would pay to go a theater and watch a single movie. Through streaming, people can now pay roughly the same price as a movie ticket and watch as many films as they want all month. This has led to a wider audience being able to watch movies at a much cheaper price.

Traditionally, audiences consume films through movie theaters. Going to the movies is relatively pricey; the average ticket price in 2019 was $9.11. Locally, I have seen prices go up to around $11. Counting the additional prices for snacks, going to see a film could cost anywhere from $15-20. Despite the somewhat high price, many people go to theaters to watch movies because of the exclusivity of being able to watch films before they are released digitally or on DVD. Releasing through theaters has clearly been successful: Jurassic World made approximately $1.67 billion through the box office. Black Panther made approximately $1.34 billion worldwide with a theater release.

On the other side of the spectrum is digital distribution- the antithesis of theater releases. The most popular and most successful form of digital distribution is streaming. With the rise of technology, we are now able to easily access whatever movies we want whenever we want by paying a monthly fee. Streaming services have massively changed the game for audience consumption. The ease and convenience of being able to easily control your movie-watching experience is seen as more tempting than having to leave your home and sit in a theater. Streaming services aside, digital distribution has allowed for audiences to even consume media through advertisements. An example of this happening is during the advertising campaign for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. On Black Friday in 2018, after a few trailers were released, Warner Bros. put the first Lego Movie in its entirety onto YouTube as an ad that played before videos.

The ability to easily watch content wherever and whenever is a game-changer for the film industry and has proved itself very successful. Wanting to throw their hats into the ring, every big player in the film industry has developed their own streaming service. Thus, streaming has become so segmented and difficult to budget and has ultimately looped back around to being just as expensive (if not more) as a trip to the movies. Paying for Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max would cost about $37 a month without any bundles. This is a big factor in the rise of piracy. Though an illegal method of consuming media, many people flock to torrenting sites to watch films for free. Piracy is becoming more accessible to the average person who doesn’t know how to download torrents. There are websites where people can easily and freely watch movies and tv shows without any fees or viruses.

In 2020, the greatest weakness of theaters was exposed: they’re physical places. When theaters are closed for extended periods of time, the film industry suffers because studios can’t release their films. This causes a domino effect that leads into heavy delays and pushed back release dates. In fact, Disney’s entire 2020 and early 2021 lineup was pushed back out of fears that releasing those films exclusively on streaming would make them lose money. However, one movie proved the film giant wrong and is sure to become a landmark case in the seemingly inevitable death of theaters: Trolls World Tour. Solely through digital distribution, the film made nearly $100 million in its first 3 weeks. The first Trolls movie made $157 million in the box office without digital distribution. While it wasn’t as successful as the first movie, Trolls World Tour is an example of how it is possible for digital distribution to be just as successful as box office releases.

In short, the way audiences consume film is ever-changing. The film industry is at a turning point for how audiences watch films. Though it seems like an inevitable battle between streaming and theaters, both have proved that they can be successful in their own ways. Ultimately, no matter how the film is distributed, the important thing is that audiences can watch films how they want, whether it be in a theater, through Netflix, or from piracy sites.

Game of Thrones Extract Essay

I think the theme of the extract is power. The characters talk about who should be in power. The camera angles and lighting complement the dialogue and show the power of certain individuals. The man with the black beard- the character with the power- is framed with a low angle to show his dominance over the others. The shot of the island makes the setting look massive, which emphasizes the power he really has.

To begin with, the extract opens with an aerial shot of a boat. On this boat, we see two characters: Stannis and Davos. The shot then zooms out into an establishing shot. This establishing shot shows how small the characters and their boat are in comparison to the island, which makes them appear weaker. The zoom out transition has a similar effect. The boat becomes increasingly smaller and the island’s size is slowly revealed, which adds to the weakness of the characters. It detracts from their strength and therefore their power.

After transitioning to a new scene with a cut, the characters are now standing in a large, empty room. This location helps establish the weakness of Davos and Stannis; they seem small when standing in it. This room is lit with low-key lighting, which makes the room dark and foreboding. The characters standing in this dark room in the center of the frame make them seem small and isolated, which are not powerful traits. A new character enters the room: a man with a black beard. He seems to be the head of the building. When he is sitting down, the camera is positioned as if it were placed on the table. This low angle puts the man with the black beard higher than the rest of the characters, which shows the power and dominance of the man in comparison. This is when the meaningful dialogue begins. The characters talk about who should be in power throughout the extract, which portrays the theme in a non-visual way. During this conversation, Davos points at Stannis and an action match is used. It follows the point and puts Stannis as the focus of the frame. The action match emphasizes the pointing, which represents a shift in power. This effect is more evident when combined with the dialogue regarding Stannis being the rightful king who should be in power. 

In conclusion, I believe the director’s vision in making this sequence was to convey the theme of power. The extract starts off by developing the weakness of Stannis and Davos. The initial establishing shot shows that the island is massive and makes their ship small in comparison. Once the characters enter the meeting room, the dialogue begins. The dialogue conveys the theme by having the characters talk about who should be in power. The new character, a man with a black beard, uses dialogue to express his power by denying the characters what they need. Camera angles, such as low angles, are used here on the bearded man to create the sense that he is the most powerful in the room. Combined, all these elements help portray the theme of power.  

"Place of Honor" CCR

This is the CCR for my final project. In my CCR, in addition to answering the required questions, I talk about the inspiration behind my film. The title of my film is Place of Honor. This is a reference to what inspired my idea. We have nuclear waste buried across the world. This waste won’t decay and will be dormant for centuries. However, people in the future won’t realize this, as everyone who was around when the nuclear waste was first buried will be dead. So, the United Nations wrote a hypothetical message to warn future generations about this danger. It’s called the long-time nuclear waste warning. It essentially simplifies the situation into a short message about how “something dangerous” is buried and that everyone should stay away. In this message, they say, “This is not a place of honor”. This line resonated with me and really inspired me to go with this idea for my final task. The inspiration is also present in the shooting script, but I wasn't able to see that idea through because of my inability to get the props in time.

"Place of Honor" Final

This is the finished version of my final task. Place of Honor is an apocalypse movie about a girl who finds out the deadly secret of a nuclear waste site and must deal with the aftermath.

With my final task done, I can reflect on my year in media studies. Overall, my time in this class has been productive. Watching myself progress from making a short, 30 second commercial to a full, 2 minute film opening has been satisfying. I think that my final task is a culmination of everything I’ve learned. Throughout the year, I learned that my favorite part of the film making process is the pre-production phase. I find conceptualizing ideas and storyboarding them out is fun. Actually having to go through with those ideas, though, is a frustrating process for me. I don't enjoy the production or post-production phases. I think having to edit my final task and its CCR was my least favorite experience in this class. Even though I didn’t enjoy the process, I’m proud of my work, especially considering the restrictions I had throughout this project, whether it be budget, time, or a pandemic. I’m glad I went with this pitch idea and I’m glad I got to create this film.

Music Video

This is the music video I worked on during Quarter 2. The song I selected was Cabinet Man by Lemon Demon. It was completed on Dec 5, 2019.

The CCR I completed for this project is embedded below.

Commercial

This is the commercial I made for Dunkin' Donuts. It was finished on November 12, 2019.

I wasn't able to embed a word doc into my blog, so the CCR I completed for this project is copy pasted under the cut.

Reshoot Blog: Quarantine

    All filming for my project has been cancelled. I can't reshoot anything because of stay at home orders. The only location I had to film at was the beach. Therefore, I have to keep all my footage as is. Thankfully, I edited everything at home so all my footage is saved to my personal computer, so I can work with everything available. The main problem I'm facing now is that I can't shoot anything to help make my story more clear. I will have to rely solely on editing to tell the story. I did all I could do while re-editing to make the story clear. Between my inability to film further and adding some edits to my film, I have decided that my final project is complete.

   Because I have nothing left to do, I'm beginning to think about the creative critical reflection. The questions I have to answer are:

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions AND how does it represent social groups or issues?
2. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
3. How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?
4. How does your product engage with audiences AND how would it be distributed as a real media text?

   I'm not sure how I will answer the first question, but I know that I will discuss working around sudden, unpredictable problems for question 2. Through the coronavirus crisis, I have developed the skill of being flexible when it comes to scheduling and planning. For question 3, I'll discuss how I had to try out multiple different editing programs and how editing from home was in general. For the second part of question 4, I would distribute my film through streaming services. I think I'll talk about how having to self-isolate further pushed my decision to release content on streaming sites.

Editing Blog: Finding New Software

     My trial period of the editing software I was using, Movavi, has ended. This isn't such a big problem because my re-edits have already been done. However, if I need to edit something after my re-shoots, I won't be able to. Additionally, because of the coronavirus pandemic, my school has been closed until April 15th. Therefore, I don't have access to the school's editing program, Pinnacle Studios. I am left without access to any editing programs that I am familiar with. I decided that I have to look online for a new one. I looked up "free editing program no watermark" and went through multiple editing programs. While all of them were free, most of them had limits, such as not being able to export, that I wouldn't be able to work around. Eventually, I found VSDC.

   VSDC's UI, at first glance, is very cluttered and overwhelming. There are a lot of different tools and icons without labels. Additionally, the preview screen is in the middle of the work space instead of in the top right corner. However, VSDC has a lot of features that weren't in Pinnacle or Movavi. For example, on the right there is a list of sliders that allow me to adjust not only the brightness and contrast, but the temperature, blurriness, and saturation of the shot. There's also a rotate tool, which I don't remember being in Movavi. There are some other features I won't need, such as a tool that creates shapes, but are interesting to have nonetheless.

   The text feature is very hard to use. Because of how many things are on the screen at once, it's difficult to figure out how to edit the font, size, and color of the text, let alone how to add animations to it. Eventually, after closing multiple unnecessary windows, I found the text editor was at the top of the screen. I added text to the intro that would help give a little more context and mystery to my film. Overall, VSDC has a steep learning curve because of the sheer amount of features it has, but once I figured out how to access what I needed, it's a very helpful program.

Re-Edit Blog: Fixing the Story

     Now that I have reflected on my peer review, I have to re-shoot and re-edit my final task before I send it to be graded. I have decided to re-edit before I re-shoot my final task. If I edit what I have first, I will be able to see what I can fix through editing and what I have to re-shoot completely. For example,  I thought the shot of the boots was a little too dark. I am going to look through Movavi's (the editing program I am using) features to see if there is a way for me to adjust the brightness without making the shot look bad. If there is one, I will not have to re-shoot that shot. If there isn't a brightness option or I don't like how it turns out, I will have to re-shoot it. I believe that this will be the most efficient way to ensure that my film is completed before the April 9th deadline.

    While editing, I kept the biggest problem I am facing in mind: the story isn't clear. I realized that I can't really fix the story problems through re-shooting without going in a wildly different direction from what I storyboarded. I have to be able to tell the story solely by making smart edits. I had the idea to make text appear during the establishing shot that helps explain the plot a little more. The opening shot now makes it explicitly clear that the setting is an abandoned area in a redacted location. I think this will not only help serve the story, but will also add a more ominous mood to my film. Because I am adding more text to the film, I had to edit the pre-existing credits to appear at different times. I don't want to have too much text on screen at a time. The credits in the beginning, such as the production studio, now disappear faster.

   I made many minor changes in addition to the more major and obvious ones. For example, the audio is louder overall. I changed the script slightly to explain the story more, which meant I had to replace the old voice over with the new one. I had to cut up the voice over to be in sync with the robotic voice. I brightened up shots that I thought were hard to see, such as the aforementioned boots scene.

volume before editing

volume after editing

Reflecting on My Peer Review

    I was not able to film this week because I had volunteer work on Saturday and I was busy on Sunday. Therefore, I decided to reflect on the review that my peers had given me. Two members of the group that reviewed me were absent, so I only received two reviews. Both reviews said that my final task was the correct length. The transitions were clean and my titles were in the correct order. The only shots I missed were a pan, a tilt, and an action match. What surprised me the most was that both reviewers thought my lighting was ok. While editing, I personally thought it was too dark and was nervous that most of my film wouldn't be able to be seen. However, both reviewers noted that they liked the mood the lighting set. I think I will try to brighten my footage slightly through editing or by filming before the sun sets. If the darker footage looks better or the mood is shifted too much, I will not replace it.

   Another comment I got that I didn't expect was that the sound was low. One of the reviewers mentioned that they couldn't hear the voice over. When I was listening to my film, it sounded fine. Only one of the two people who reviewed it mentioned that it was quiet, though, so it may have been just them. Regardless, I am going to increase the volume of everything when I do my re-edits. The biggest suggestion the reviewing group gave me was to make the story clearer. I did expect this suggestion and I'm not sure how I am going to fix it. In retrospect, the pitch is the source of this problem. I picked a time that was hard to film at and a concept even harder to successfully convey in just 2 minutes. I'm not sure how different from my pitch I'm allowed to make my final task. I am going to be putting most of my effort into figuring out how to fix the story, as everything else I do relies on the story.

One of the peer reviews I received

Peer Review Blog

    On Monday, I peer reviewed group 8's final task. Technically, it was really good. The sound was clear and consistent. I didn't have to turn up my volume to understand anything and there were no jarring, sudden noises. The lighting was, for the most part, not too intense. I could easily see what was going on in the video. However, in one scene, the back lighting was a little too strong and made the focus of the shot dark and hard to see. The transitions were clean and varied. They also had a variety of different shots which made the film visually interesting. The "directed by" credit wasn't at the very end, though. It came up a while before the film actually ended.

   What I liked most about the film was the acting. I thought the actors did a good job giving the characters personalities. I understood the relationship between the characters and how it lead to the conflict of the film. I thought about the suggestion I wrote on the paper and decided that the ending wasn't actually a problem. Not understanding the ending could just be a personal problem. Plus, it did leave me wanting to see more, so it's not entirely a bad thing. Instead, I would suggest changing the scene where the younger sister is hit by a car. The sped-up footage looks out of place compared to the footage immediately before and after it. I think this could be changed by making the shot shorter or having the actor run faster. 

Front side of peer review sheet

Back side of peer review sheet

Editing Blog: Putting Everything Together

    With all of my scenes filmed, it was time to edit them together. I dumped all the footage onto my computer rather than a school computer. I began editing at home using a program called Movavi Video Suite. While I did want to use Pinnacle Studios, I decided that using an editing program that I can access at home would be better considering the time constraints I have. The free trial is long enough for me to finish editing the opening over the weekend.

     This is the layout of Movavi. Among other features, it has a tab for filters on the left side. One of the filters is a slight static effect. I think this will be a good filter to use during the transition from scene 5 to scene 6. However, in this editing session, I'm focusing more on putting all my shots in order and cutting out what I don't need. The next editing session will be for more precise edits and extra effects.

    After selecting which clips I would use, I put them into the timeline. I cut out pieces that I didn't need and shortened the video to be less than 2 minutes. I forgot to factor in the time it takes for transitions to appear, so my film was slightly over 2 minutes. I had to remove some of the lengthier transitions and shorten the time of other ones. Once this was done, I detached and removed the audio of scenes with voice overs. While editing, I realized that I had to redo a few sections of my voice over because they had to be in unison with the robotic voice. I downloaded the fixed voice overs from my Google Drive and placed them into the scenes. With all of that out of the way, the skeleton of my opening was complete. I am planning on adding the titles and filters next.

Filming Blog: At the Beach

   On Sunday night, I filmed at Keating Beach. The beach was, as expected, fairly empty. The weather was suitable for filming. There weren't too many problems that came up initially. As time went on, though, I realized the biggest issue with filming at night: it's dark. I expected this to be an issue while planning, but I thought it wouldn't be as dark as it was. While I could see fine, the camera barely picked up anything. My faith in school provided technology was my downfall. I wouldn't let this stop me, though; at certain points, I decided to use a flashlight for lighting. This added a dramatic and tense mood, which matches the convention of an apocalypse movie. But, it went against the convention that apocalypse movies use natural lighting. I'm not sure if I'm going to re-shoot scenes that utilized a flashlight. Ultimately, I'm going to have to think about which matters more: lighting or mood.

   In addition to the lighting issues, I was not able to implement some aspects that I am planning on having in the final film. For example, I wasn't able to get the drone in time, so I couldn't film the bird's eye shot. I also couldn't get the poster board to construct the spikes props. However, this is only the first draft of the film. I will be able to re-shoot at the beach at a later date. Hopefully, by then, I will be able to get what I need. If not, I have replacements in mind. For the drone shot, I will replace it with an extreme wide shot, panning to the side. I may just simply remove the black spikes entirely, leaving only the yellow tape.

  While not something I filmed at the beach, I recorded my voice over on Sunday. I decided to change the script slightly after much deliberation to sound more ominous. 

Filming Blog: Indoor Scene

    Originally, I was planning to film at the beach on Wednesday, February 19th. I would only be filming the scenes of me holding the box and coughing. However, because of work schedules that couldn't be changed, I was unable to go to the beach. In hindsight, though, I believe this is a good thing. I think it would be more effective to film all the beach scenes in one day so I can keep better track of what I need to film. The man whose drone I'm borrowing wasn't able to deliver the drone on Wednesday, anyway. While I was initially disappointed that I was unable to film, I've realized that this will ultimately lead to an overall cleaner and more efficient filming experience.

    Because I wasn't able to film at the beach, I decided to film the indoor scene in which a man sits on his couch in front of a TV. The screen goes static and he straightens up. It's an over the shoulder shot. I got my dad to be the actor in the scene and sit down. The first major problem I faced is the layout of my living room, which I have put a picture of below. In the actual recording, the light in the back left corner was off.

   My couch is up against a wall, which makes getting a good over the shoulder shot difficult. To solve this problem, I moved the couch away from the wall enough so that I could stand behind it and film. This did help in being able to get the shot, but the part of the scene where the man straightens up as the screen goes static was still hard to film. No matter which direction or angle I filmed in, the action didn't seem clear and seemed like a mistake. So, I decided that the man would stay still and the focus of the shot would be more on the TV.
 
    An interesting process I had to go through to film this scene was connecting my phone to the TV. I wouldn't be able to make the screen go static normally without pressing a button on the side of the TV and getting in the shot. However, I have an HDMI adapter that allows me to connect my phone to a TV. I took a recording of a recent news report and added a static screen towards the end of the video on my desktop. I emailed it to myself and downloaded it onto my phone. From there, I plugged my phone into the adapter and played the video on the TV. I had to time pressing record on the camera right so I had enough footage of the screen before it went static. This was hard at first, but I was able to get used to the timing after a few takes.

picture

Planning Blog: Storyboard

    I have completed my storyboard for my final project. I have embedded it below. I put the storyboards through a picture scanner app so they appear more legible. This process reminded me that storyboarding is not one of my strengths. I am not able to draw well, which made some of the shots confusing. However, I explained some of the shots beneath them by explaining whats going on and what type of shot it is. I didn't put the dialogue in the storyboard because of how lengthy it is. I put key sound effects on the storyboard, though, as they are important parts of the shots they are in.

Planning Blog: Title Design

     I used a process of elimination to decide which font I wanted to use. After weighing out the pros and cons, EB Garamond will be the font I use for my film. It doesn’t require any special text effects to be legible. I also had to consider the timing of my titles.Each title will appear on screen for 2 seconds. The exception to this is the main title credit, which will appear for 4 seconds. Readability is also important. Because I will be filming at night, the text will be light colors so they contrast with the background. The exact color will depend on how the shots look once they are recorded, but for now, the text will be white. I have included an example of the transitions and appearance of the title in the last slide. The transitions are timed so that "Place of Honor" fades in for 3.3 seconds and fades out for 1.7 seconds. This may be changed in the final product.

Planning Blog: Locations, Participants, Safety, and Schedule

    In this powerpoint, I talk about the locations I will be filming at, the participants in my project, and safety precautions. I also outline my daily schedule while working on the project. For the location, I will be filming at Keating Beach after sunset. There will be one scene that is filmed in my living room. I am taking basic safety precautions, such as making sure all sharp points are dulled. In addition, I am taking measures to ensure that passerbys don't feel threatened by what I am doing. The participants in my film are minimal because I am doing this project alone.

 

Planning Blog: Shooting Script

        I have completed the shooting script for my final project. Overall, I'm aiming to film during dusk hours so the lighting is ominous. This will help set the mood I'm trying to achieve in my project. It is also beneficial to the filming process because I will be able to get away with doing more things later in the day when the beach is empty. Scene 1 starts with a bird's eye establishing shot of the beach. I am hoping to borrow a friend's drone to take this shot. If not, I will still have the establishing shot, but just not as a bird's eye POV. The studio name I am planning to use for the credits is "Termite Corporation". The black spikes mentioned in scene 4 will be created using black poster boards that are assembled to look like elongated pyramids. Scenes 7 and 8 are visually similar, so their slides on the script are short. The emphasis of those scenes is on the audio rather than the visuals.

 

Planning Blog: Sound Script

     I have completed the sound script for my final project. The first three scenes are almost entirely narration. The lines in scene 1 are read by a text to speech voice to make it sound as if a robot is reading it. In scene 2, the Navigator, the main character of my film, joins in and speaks in unison with the robotic voice. In scene 3, only the Navigator speaks. As the main title appears, there is a "woosh" sound effect. Scene 4 amplifies the sound of footsteps while the Navigator speaks. The non-diegetic music also begins to play in this scene, and it continues until scene 9. In scene 5, there is tv static. There is no dialogue in scenes 7 or 8, but there is the sound of a heartbeat and the Navigator coughing, which gets louder over time. All sound stops in scene 10.

Title Research: Planet of the Apes

I found the introduction to Planet of the Apes on Art of the Title.

1) How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
There were 38 titles displayed. Two credits were displayed before the main title: the main actor and the production studio. The rest appeared after the main title.

2) What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The opening sequence doesn't have many images, as it's just a montage of blue lights moving across the screen. However, in the beginning, there is a shot of an astronaut-looking man laying down.

3) What connotations do the images carry?
The image of the man laying down has somewhat of a positive connotation. It radiates a calmness, but the blue light fading in adds an element of apprehension.

4) How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
This opening sequence doesn't follow the conventions of an apocalypse movie. However, this is because the main plot twist of the film is that the audience finds out it is an apocalypse at the very end. Therefore, the choices made in the opening sequence makes sense.

5) How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The audience is immediately intrigued by the unknown man laying down and being enveloped by blue light. The spots of blue throughout the opening adds to this interest.

6) What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
The film appeals to the audience's curiosity.

7) How has technology been used effectively?
The colored lighting effectively shifts the mood of the film and brings the audience into the futuristic world of Planet of the Apes.

Title Research: Soylent Green

 

I found the introduction to Soylent Green on Art of the Title.

1) How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
Unlike the other openings I have researched, the opening sequence of Soylent Green has no titles besides the main title.

2) What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The opening sequence gives a visual timeline of the development of society. It starts with simple sepia images of people living an agricultural life. As the sequence goes on, the images show cities being built and technology such as cars being invented. The opening ends with imagery of polluted cities and people with medical face masks.

3) What connotations do the images carry?
The images carry a positive connotation until the last few seconds, in which they take a negative connotation.

4) How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
This film takes place after an apocalyptic event, which is typical for the genre. Like many apocalypse movies, Soylent Green's story is based on a man-made event that changed the world. In this case, it is overpopulation. It uses imagery that symbolizes death and destruction.

5) How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The opening sequence piques the audience's interest by showing that the film takes place in 2022, which at the time was far into the future. The sudden shift in mood from nostalgic imagery of people living simple lives to foreboding images of sick people and crowded cities makes the audience question what the consequences of overpopulation are.

6) What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
The film uses sepia-tone and ominous imagery to show that its meant for older audiences.

7) How has technology been used effectively?
Transitions were utilized to show the gradual change in society. Overlaid text that gives context to the setting was also used at the very end of the title sequence.

Title Research: Dawn of the Dead

'I found the introduction to Dawn of the Dead on Art of the Title.

1) How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
There were 31 titles,with only one credit coming before the main title: the production studio. After the main title, the actors were listed. The credits listed jobs such as casting director, music supervisor, costume designer, production designer, and executive producers. The director was the last one listed.

2) What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
There are close up shots of zombies throughout. In the beginning, there is a clip of the president answering questions about the zombies. After the shot with the president ends, the screen shows static. For the rest of the opening, there are shots of people running, fires, close ups of viruses under a microscope, and chaos in general. The final part of the opening sequence has a solider shooting a zombie as the song cuts off. The sequence ends with a zombie attacking the camera.

3) What connotations do the images carry?
The imagery carries an ominous and fearful connotation. The visuals paired with the audio, such as the heart beating, creates tension.

4) How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
There is a heartbeat sound playing in the background while the president talks about the zombies, which adds tension. This is usual for films in the apocalypse genre.

5) How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
By showing the audience a glimpse at what the zombie apocalypse looks like through the intro sequence, it captivates their attention and curiosity about how the situation is fixed.

6) What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
Through close-up shots of gore and violence, this film appeals to it's target audience of horror movie fans.

7) How has technology been used effectively?
The text came in and out with a blood splatter and a static-y sound effect, which is fitting for what the movie is about.

Title Research: Mad Max

I found the introduction to Mad Max on Art of the Title.

1) How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
There are 15 titles shown, with 7 of them being shown before the main title. The ones before the main title were the name of the actors and the studio that made it. After the title of the movie appeared, it listed the people who wrote the screenplay, the photographers, editors, art director, composer, and producer. The final credit shown was the director.

2) What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The opening sequence ended with a wide shot of a building called the Halls of Justice. The shot faded out to show a road. While the camera zoomed into the horizon, the text "A FEW YEARS FROM NOW..." appeared on the screen. The next shot has a skull shape on the floor. The camera pans up and the text and skull fades out. The final shot of the opening is a close up of a sign that says "Anarchie Road" with a car in the background.

3) What connotations do the images carry?
The images carry a negative and desolate connotation. They make the viewer feel isolated and interested in why the setting is seemingly so empty.

4) How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The shot of the skull on the ground reinforces the theme of survival that is prevalent in apocalypse movies. In the barren landscape that we are shown in the first few shots of the film, it's either survive or die. After the title appears, the first shot is a wide shot of a broken down building, like many other movies in the genre. Additionally, the text "a few years from now" shows the audience that the film takes place after an apocalyptic event, which is a very common setup for the apocalypse genre.

5) How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The shots the director chose to show in the introduction piques the audience's interest. The decrepit building and empty road makes the viewer wonder what happened to make the world look like this. The shot of the skull, especially, makes the audience question what is going on.

6) What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
The film uses muted colors and ominous imagery to show that its meant for older audiences.

7) How has technology been used effectively?
No special technology was used to display the credits. The names simply appeared on screen without any special movements. The font is white on a black background. However, later on in the opening, text that says  "A FEW YEARS FROM NOW..." appears on screen as if it was being typed up. There was a typewriter sound effect as it came onto screen. The intro also used fades to move from shot to shot. Throughout the entire title sequence, there is a score with drums and horns, which sets the mood of the film.

Title Research: Watch the Titles Website

  To research the title sequences of my opening scene, I am going to be using two websites: Art of the Title and Watch the Titles. Watch the Titles is a database of opening and ending sequences to various forms of media. Much like Art of the Title, it includes movies, tv shows, and video games. Watch the Titles includes foreign films and student projects. However, not all of the opening sequences have videos attached. Some are only still images of the opening alongside a description of the movie. This website focuses more on the behind the scenes of title sequence development. There aren't a lot of opening sequences available, but there are plenty of interviews. The website has separate tabs to showcase title designers and studios.

   Because of how limited the title sequence selection is, I'm not sure I'll be able to find an opening that matches my genre. Additionally, I think it would be more beneficial to get to visually watch the title sequences rather than try to understand through screenshots. I will most likely use Watch the Titles less than Art of the Title during my research.
   Even though it won't be as helpful as Art of the Title, Watch the Title will give me insight into the often overlooked design behind making a title sequence. I may utilize it's "designers" tab to see if there is any information that could help me.

Title Research: Art of the Title Website

   To research the title sequences of my opening scene, I am going to be using two websites: Art of the Title and Watch the Titles. Art of the Title is a database of opening and ending sequences to various forms of media. It includes movies, TV shows, animations, and even video games. The movies on the website go back as far as the 30s. The title sequences can be sorted by release date, title, and the date they were added to the website. In the description of each video, the website lists the title designers, producer, illustrators, animators, and the composer of the music playing throughout the title sequence. In addition to opening and ending titles, Art of the Title also offers summaries and interviews.

   Despite the variety of title sequences on Art of the Titles, for my final task, I will be focusing on films more than anything else. Specifically, I am going to be researching apocalypse movies. Some of the clips go beyond the title sequence and include the first few minutes of the film. While this is interesting, for research, I'll only be watching to take note of the way titles appear and in what order.

   By watching the openers to films in my genre, I will be able to understand the typical sequence of titles in apocalypse movies. This will allow my final task to look and feel more professional. Researching titles may also inspire ideas for my own title sequence. It will also help me narrow down pre-existing ideas I have by allowing me to see what is and isn't fitting for the genre.

Genre Research: 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane

Director: J.J. Abrams

Camera Movements/Angles/Shots
An over the shoulder shot is used when Howard is talking to Michelle to show her reactions to and mistrust of what he is saying. The power dynamic between the two main characters is shown through camera angles. A low angle is used when Howard is the focus of the shot to show the control he has over the situation. A high angle is used when Michelle is the focus towards the beginning of the film to show that she is powerless. This idea is further shown in a low angle shot of Michelle when she tries to escape the bunker. She is put in a high position, which makes her have the power for that short period. 


Mise En Scene
The bunker that the characters stay in is empty, which demonstrates isolation. The bunker is disorganized and filled with objects that add to the confusion throughout the movie. The costumes are simple, but the makeup is used for gore effects. The woman outside the bunker early in the movie has rashes on one side of her face. Later on in the movie when Howard falls into acid, his face is severely burned. 

Lighting
In the scene where Michelle looks outside the bunker, a strong source of bright light in the focus of the shot. This hard lighting intensifies the shadows and makes the bunker behind her darker. The bunker is lit with a lot of intense blue lighting. When Michelle escapes through the vents, the room is lit with warm colors. 

Sound
In some scenes, Howard's voice has an echo, which reinforces his power. 10 Cloverfield Lane relies on its non-diegetic score for its sound. 

Genre Research: Train to Busan

Train to Busan

Director: Yeon Sang-ho

Camera Movements/Angles/Shots
Movement is a major part of Train to Busan. Within the first few minutes, there are multiple instances of panning. The camera pans across a road to show a zombified deer. Another pan is used to follow a train leaving the station. The train is followed via a track and a trucking movement many times. Characters running alongside the train are also tracked. There are a lot of close ups on the character's faces, which are used to show emotion and the faces of zombified people. Shaky cam is used when the characters are running through a train car, trying to escape the zombies. In the climax of the film, an extreme close-up and tilt is used to show a zombie bite on the father.

Mise En Scene
The beginning of the movie foreshadows whats to come by having the first characters seen in the movie be wearing hazmat suits. The outfits the characters wear in the film get progressively dirtier and bloodier as they survive through waves of zombies.  Props such as bats, shields, and coats are used as weapons against the zombies. Throughout the film, special effects and makeup are used to show the effect of the monsters. Zombies have their eyes glazed over via contact lenses. Gore and blood are heavily used throughout the film. Special effects are used to give infected people zombie-like skin.

Lighting
Throughout the movie, the lighting is soft lit and fluorescent. In the first scene on the train, the contrast in coloring of the lighting helps set the mood. The outside of the train is lit with cool colors to show how the city is falling apart. Inside the train, the lighting is warm colored, which contrasts the outside strongly. This lightens the mood and leads the viewer into thinking the train will be a place of safety.

Sound
Diegetic sound plays a large role in Train to Busan. The zombies detect people through sound. A ringtone is used to distract the zombies while the characters escape. A heartbeat is used to raise tension. In the end of the film, the girl sings a song to signify that she isn't a zombie, which allows her to enter the safe zone. In addition, there is also a score in the background to make the emotional moments more impactful.

Genre Research: Bird Box

Bird Box

Director: Susanne Bier

Camera Movements/Angles/Shots
Multiple camera movements and angles are used in Bird Box. The very first shot of the film is an extreme wide shot of a river. As the title credit appears, the camera pans down the river quickly. An extreme close up of a paintbrush is used as a transition into a flashback. A wide shot is used to show the destruction and chaos of a city shortly after the apocalyptic event occurs. Later on, a low angle is used to show blood leaking out from under a door. Throughout the film, point of view is used to show what the characters see through their blindfolds.

Mise En Scene

The destruction of the city is shown in the first flashback through the mise en scene. Smoke billows out of the buildings, burning cars are piled up in the street. Buildings are shuttered, which hints that the creatures can only effect people if they are seen. When the movie flashes forward to five years later, the setting is primarily a forest. The remaining buildings are overgrown with plants. The character's outfits are significantly dirtier. When a radio is used, the connection is poor and we can hear static. This show the isolation of the characters.
Throughout the film, special effects and makeup are used to show the effect of the monsters. Characters who see the creatures have their eyes glazed over via contact lenses. Gore and blood are heavily used in the opening scene to display the chaos, along with explosions and burning cars. Later on, makeup is used to turn people into corpses, which are laying in the middle of the road.

Lighting

Throughout the movie, natural lighting is prominently used because most of the film takes place outside. When natural lighting isn't used, the setting is intentionally dark to set a mood. 


Sound
There are multiple examples of diegetic sound throughout the film. In the opening scene, a news report is heard, which gives exposition. Later on, noise is used to display the chaos of a city that is being taken over by the monsters. Sounds such as explosions, fire crackling, sirens, and car alarms are utilized.A key plot element is birds chirping. Whenever the creatures- which are signified by howling wind- are nearby, the birds make a sound. In the climax of the film, the characters navigate the forest by ringing bells and following the sound. Non-diegetic sound like rising tones and scores are used, too.

Genre Research: A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place

Director: John Krasinski

Camera Movements/Angles/Shots
In the opening of the film, a variety of different shots are used to establish a feeling of isolation and destruction. There's a close up of a fallen traffic light. A wide shot is used to show the surrounding area of a store. This area is nearly destroyed. There are topped over cars and debris all over the place. When inside the store, a low angle is used to introduce the characters to show their strength for surviving in a desolate area. A close-up of one of the character's face is obstructed by a shelf of medicine. The camera tracks the movement of her face and hand as she grabs a bottle off of the shelf. As the characters leave the store, we get a wide shot of a forest from a bird's eye view angle. Later on in the film, there's an extreme close up of a character's dirt-covered nails to show a passage of time.


Mise En Scene
The mise en scene in A Quiet Place helps give hints to what started the apocalypse and show the destruction the monsters caused. For example, when the characters enter a store, we can see newspapers littered around the outside. Items are strewn across the floor. When we get a clear view of the characters, we see that their clothes are dirty and their hair is matted. They are barefoot, which gives a hint as to what alerts the monsters. The colors in the store are sepia-toned. Because this segment of the film takes place a year before the rest, this could've been done to show nostalgia for before times got worse.

As the characters leave the store, we can see a pinboard covered in torn up and faded missing posters. There are destroyed cars and debris lined across the street. There are overgrown plants throughout the film. When technology is shown, it is usually broken and displays static. This helps show the isolation of the characters. Finally, towards the end of the film, CGI is used when the monsters are finally revealed.


Lighting
In the beginning of the film, back-lighting is used to make the mood feel more ominous with shadows. Throughout the movie, natural lighting is prominently used because most of the film takes place outside. When natural lighting isn't used, the setting is intentionally dark to set a mood. Red lights are used as an emergency signal and show urgency. In the end of the film, though, the room that the characters use for communications is lit up with blue lighting to make the viewers feel hope.

Sound
Sound is a key element in A Quiet Place. The monsters hunt through sound, so the film is almost entirely silent. There is very little dialogue and most sound is ambient. However, diegetic sound is used as a plot point. In the opening, one of the children is killed by a toy making noise. A man kills himself by screaming. Sound is used to distract the monsters and lead them away from the main characters. In the climax of the film, the characters learn that the sound of feedback kills the monsters. As in most films with horror elements, sounds like heartbeats are used to instill fear and tension.

Genre Research: Final Genre Decision

    I have researched three genres over the course of a few days. These genres are war, science fiction, and apocalypse. Originally, I was going to replace sci-fi with horror, but I thought horror and apocalypse were too similar. After much thought, I have decided to make my final task apart of the apocalypse genre. I think that my pitch idea fits into this genre the most out of the ones I researched. Additionally, following the conventions of an apocalypse movie will improve my final product more than sci-fi or war conventions. I have chosen the four movies I will watch to further understand the genre. These movies are Bird Box, A Quiet Place, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and Train to Busan.

Genre Research: Apocalypse and Sci-Fi

    The two genres I have chosen to research are apocalypse/doomsday and science-fiction. Originally, I was interested in researching the horror genre instead of sci-fi. However, because of how similar apocalypse and horror are, I decided to go for sci-fi instead.

Apocalypse

Common Lighting: Movies in the apocalypse genre use natural lighting, which allows for scenes with darkness that isn't too intense.

Camera Angles, Movements, and Shots: Extreme wide shots are a critical part of the apocalypse genre. They emphasize the isolation and destruction. Some wide shots are taken from a bird's eye view. These shots are often accompanied by pans, tilts, and trucking.

Mise En Scene: In movies where the plot takes place during or after the catastrophic event, the costumes and makeup of the cast look run down and torn up. Makeup is for gore purposes. In movies where the plot takes place before the apocalypse, the cast may wear clothes that are normal for their characters. Additionally, costumes change depending on what sets off the plot; a nuclear bomb could require a character to wear a hazmat suit, whereas a zombie apocalypse would not. Props can be used to show how much society has crumbled. For example, a pile of rubble could be used to show the destruction of a city. Finally, movies in this genre use special effects to make realistic gore or make a location seem as if it has fallen apart and is deserted.

Common Elements: In most apocalypse movies, the story revolves around a character or group of characters having to escape or live with the events of a post-apocalyptic world. Causes for the apocalypse include nuclear war, pandemic, the rise of technology, and in some cases, things like zombies and aliens. A major theme in apocalypse movies is survival.

Common Sound: The sound in apocalypse movies vary depending on what causes the apocalypse. For example, some use long moments of quiet to build up to a sudden, loud noise for horror purposes. However, others emphasize the chaos of the apocalypse by having constant loud sounds, such as screams, growls, or destruction noises.

Aspects I Like: I'm interested in the scenarios presented and how realistic they can feel.

Aspects I Dislike: The plots can be repetitive.

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Science-Fiction

Common Lighting: Sci-fi movies utilize intense, fluorescent lighting to create a sterile and metallic futuristic setting. They may also use colored lighting to create a mood.

Camera Angles, Movements, and Shots: Similar to apocalypse movies, extreme wide shots are used heavily in sci-fi films. However, instead of showing destruction, wide shots are used to show the growth and development of society. Sci-fi movies use close-ups to show details of the technology shown. Low and high angles may be used in science fiction films that focus on a dystopia to show characters in positions of power and weakness.

Mise En Scene: Movies in the sci-fi genre typically take place in space and other futuristic settings. Depending on how far into the future the society in the film is, the costumes can range from regular clothing to technologically advanced suits and accessories. Props consist of complex technology, such as robots, weapons, and phones. The lighting in sci-fi movies may be bright and colorful to emphasize a change in society. Special effects (specifically CGI) are used to make the world seem more realistic and help the viewer imagine the future presented is close.

Common Elements: Sci-fi movies heavily feature futuristic elements, such as robots, space travel, aliens, and the rise of technology. Popular themes in modern sci-fi movies include artificial intelligence, how technology changes society, and dystopian societies.

Common Sound: Sound in science fiction movies are mostly computer generated sounds, which are used for things like robots or computers.

Aspects I Like: I enjoy the concepts that are presented and how thought-provoking they are. I also like seeing the special effects.

Aspects I Dislike: I dislike sci-fi movies that don't build upon the world and instead focus on the characters.

Genre Research: War

Back in September, we were given a genre at random to research and create a powerpoint on. On that assignment, I worked with a partner, but for the final task, I'm working alone. In the powerpoint, we put music that matched the genre, but that can't be heard due to the powerpoint being uploaded as JPEGs. The information in the powerpoint is simple, but it helped me understand the basics of researching a genre. The genre we researched was war. Most movies in the war movie have a similar mise en scene of greys, browns, and muted greens. They also have a variety of shots ranging from wide shots to extreme close ups. The sound will often be loud and filled with diegetic sound such as gunshots, but war movies also have quiet moments with non-diegetic music. This music aims to inspire a feeling of patriotism, which is a major theme in war movies.