Tuesday 29 January 2013

Preliminary Task


For our Preliminary task we had t include 4 types of shots. These were:

- Shot reverse Shot 
(Is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.)

- Rule of thirds 
(The rule of thirds is a concept in video and film production in which the frame is divided into into nine imaginary sections, as illustrated on the right. This creates reference points which act as guides for framing the image.)

- 180 degrees Rule
(The 180-degree rule is a basic guideline regarding the on-screen spatial relationship between a character and another character or object within a scene. An imaginary line called the axis connects the characters and by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene, the first character will always be frame right of the second character, who is then always frame left of the first. If the camera passes over the axis, it is calledjumping the line or crossing the line.)

- Match on Action
(is a cut in film editing between either two different objects, two different spaces, or two different compositions in which an object in the two shots graphically match, often helping to establish a strong continuity of action and linking the two shots metaphorically.)

*Definitions from Wikipedia

AS Media: Opening Sequence Analysis


Crime/ Drama 
Drive (2011)
Director: Nicholas Winding Refn




The opening scene of Drive starts with a wide shot of LA City, the camera slowly pans across the skyline of the city showing the audience the vast range of skyscrapers. The first name on screen is Ryan Gosling and this could show us that the film is being sold on the actors in it. There is then a slow dissolve from the skyline into a low angle shot of Ryan in the car. The name of the film then appears in the centre of the screen. There is then a cut onto Ryan driving the car. The shot is an over the shoulder shot. This shot shows Ryan's character  being enigmatic. The shot doesn't reveal to much about the character yet and this keeps the audience guessing to what the character is like. Throughout the car journey there is a shallow depth of film. The shots are dark and for most of the time Ryan's face is hidden with shadows. This could suggest that he is perhaps trying to hide, or that their is a side of him he doesn't want people to see. There is then an over the shoulder shot. this shot shows us the point of view from Ryan and in this frame we see him driving down the road. There is then a birds eye view of the car. the birds eye view begins to zoom out to give us an establishing shot of the high way. The shot then slowly dissolves out and into a shot of him in the car again. This dissolve shot condenses the time. We then see the car pull into a garage and the camera pans as the car parks up. Ryan then walks towards the lift. There is a match on action as he gets in, and then out of the lift. we then see him in what appears to be an apartment. We know that he is staying their because he he puts his bag down. This is another shot establishing where he is. The shot then cuts to a wide angle shot of the skyline like we saw at the beginning and then cuts to Ryan driving in the car again.


Comedy
Step Brothers (2008)
Director: Adam Mckay





Step Brothers start with a black frame with a quote on it. The quote says ' Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream' it was a quote made by George W. Bush and is the first thing show on screen. The quote fades out and the words Columbia Pictures presents come onto screen. The writting looks like it has been written by a person which could suggest that there is somthing childish about the film. We here non-digetic sound of chrisps rustling and then this turns to digetic. The black fades out into a scene where Dale is putting crisp switching onto a plate. The plate is at the centre of the screen and cheese is being smothered over the crisp messily which could suggest that Dale is childish. The camera cuts to him on the microwave and then there is a point of view from the microwave of Dale looking in this again shows that he cannot wait to get the food. The camera then fast cuts to him sitting on a sofa watching the TV. He is in his pj's which again portrays him as being childish. We then see his mum walk into the room and because he is a grown man still living with his mum it represents him as self reliant on his mum. The camera cuts to Brennon in his room playing guitar hero. Again this is childish as a grown man would most probably not play guitar hero. His Dad appears in the scene and this shows that like Dale Brennon is self reliant on his Dad. So far in less that a minute we are introduced to both main characters. Later in the clip the character shows Dale's Mum and Brennon's Dad kissing which shows that their is a relationship their.


Action/ Crime/ Drama
Inside Man (2006)
Director: Spike Lee




Inside man is an Action, Crime Drama. The scene starts by having Clive Owen who plays Dalton speaking to the camera. This breaks the fourth wall. In this shot they really take into consideration the rule of thirds. The background is black and this makes Dalton really stand out. It also leaves us unaware of his current location. Which means the shot hasn't yet been established. However as Dalton continues speaking, he informs the audience that he is in prison and this establishes the scene. The black background then slowly fades out and we see a prison brick wall behind him. He seems to be speaking to us as if he is in his prison cell and he is talking to the audience as if we where the people to be watching the video he is making. In this opening scene he tells us who he is, and his plan for a perfect bank robbery. He is talking to us as he needs someone to break him out of prison. The scene makes us feel uncomfortable as it is as if we are part of his life. We learn a lot about this film in the first minuet and a lot about the character Dalton. The first minuet shows us that he is a criminal and that his plan is to continue being a criminal. 

Romance
The Notebook (2004)
Director: Nick Cassavetes


The Notebook is a Romance film. The frame starts as a black out with faint slow music playing in the background. The screen fades in and the first name we see is Ryan Gosling. The shot is an establishing shot of a lake. The camera then cuts to a man rowing a boat. The sun is shinning down onto the lake making the man in the rowing boat the centre of the audiences attention. The action in the shots are slow and are in time with the slow tempo music. The first shots are of a tranquil setting and tell the audience that it is a romantic film. The second name on the screen is Rachel McAdams. It is only now that the title 'The Notebook' appear onscreen. The camera then cuts to a wide mid shot of the man. There is the a long fade into a birds-eye view shot of the man rowing the boat. The camera cuts to a mid shot of the man rowing. The sun is reflected into the water which makes it appear colors of yellow, red and orange. They are calm colors and set the scene to be tranquil and relaxing. The man and the boat are silhouetted so we can not see the actual identity of the person. The shot doesn't reveal much about the character, it makes the audience guess to what he is actually like. There are more establishing shots of the lake and then a long shot of some birds flying above. This shot is an establishing shot and shows the audience that there is a lot of wildlife animals in the area. All the cuts so far have been slow cuts which helps to set the tone of the film. If it was an action film he cuts would be quick and so would make for a fast passed film. Whereas with 'The Notebook' the film is a lot more slow and is a real contrast to an action film. The is a slow motion shot of the birds flying towards her. This could suggest that time is passing slowly. The camera cuts back to a woman looking out over the birds as they fly towards her. The camera cuts to a mid-shot of the woman standing in the window. She looks sad and this can relate to the slow pace of the music.

Romantic/ Comedy
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Director: Blake Edwards



The first shot on screen is that of the Production Company 'Paramount'. The shots fades into black and then into an establishing shot of a New York City high street.  In the distance we see a car slowly getting closer to the camera. As the car gets closer it becomes clear to the audience that it is an american yellow taxi. The age and style of the car revels that the film was set in the past. As the car moves pass the camera the camera pans and follow the car until it comes to a stop. A woman gets out of the Taxi and the Taxi drives off revealing a woman dressed in extravagant clothes. There is a high angle over the shoulder shot of the woman revealing the name 'Tiffany'. The camera pans down and the name Audrey Hepburn is shown in large capital letters. She is walking over the the shop window. The camera cuts to a mid shot of the woman looking into a shop display. By the clothes she is wearing it reveals to the audience that she has a high profile and is wealthy. She the goes into her bag and eats her loaf of bread. At this moment the title 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' appears on screen in capital letters. It is a long take and the camera pans round as she walks away. The camera cuts to a point of view shot from inside the window. The camera cuts to a long shot of the woman as she begins to walk down the road and pans to follow her journey.