Analysis of special effects used in opening sequences

Guardians of the galaxy (2014):

Why would the director choose to use special effects?

I think that the director has done this so that the audience is more immersed in the film, and so that the film can provide a higher form of escapism for them. Also the fact that the action involving the special effect would not be possible without it. Using special effects also increases the films production value and makes the films quality higher.

How does it denote genre?

The special effects used in this scene could signify the genre of the movie by using some iconography of sci-fi movies (aliens, space drafts, abduction etc.) so that the audience can easily identify the genre of the film.

What effect does it have on the audience? 

The audience is more immersed in the story, which means that they are more involved in the plot of the film, which provides more escapism for the audience and makes the movie more enjoyable as the audience can escape from the troubles of the real world.

Are the special effects conventional for the genre?

The special effects used are very conventional for the genre of the film, as in sci-fi films, the theme of aliens and abduction is very often featured and is regularly used in many films of this genre. These type of special effects (CGI, SFX) are also commonly used in the sci-fi genre because they allow the director to produce a more believable product.

Star Trek (2009)

Why would the director choose to use special effects?

The director could have chosen to use special effects in the film to provide a level of escapism for the audience, as the more immersive and believable a movie is the more an audience is likely to be immersed in the movie and make what happens in the film more believable, which will mean that the viewers are more likely to care about the characters and the movie in general.

How does it denote genre?

This movie also shows some iconography of the sci-fi genre as special effects are used to make the spacecraft and the planet in the background of this scene, both of which are conventions of the sci-fi genre, as aliens, space and space craft are regularly featured in science fiction films.

What effect does it have on the audience? 

The use of special effects means that the audience feels more involved in the movie, which provides more escapism and allows the viewers to leave reality while the film is playing and 

Are the special effects conventional for the genre?

These special effects are very common to the genre of the film as CGI and SFX make it easier for the production team to edit in the special effects over the footage that has been captured. 

Class notes: 22nd September (Shot transitions)

Class notes: 18th September (Shot compositions)

Class notes: 17th September (Use of lighting in opening scenes)

The class was asked to brainstorm the functions of lighting in an opening scene, and to think about the issues that could occur while filming. The issues that the class talked about were about continuity errors regarding filming (cutting from light to dark surroundings in the same scene) and how a filming schedule would need to be focused around the preferred lighting in the scene. Our teacher has also informed the class that the school will be buying a Yongnuo YN300 II LED Video Light to help us when filming, as this light will create a more natural effect while also brightening the camera shots.

Class notes: 16th September (Researching audio)

Equipment that can be used to improve sound quality are a rode mic pro and a rode 'dead cat'. Advice that was given to the class included choosing the music early so that the tone of the opening scene can be decided and using the music to create contrasts to influence the audiences emotions. The class was also introduced to the basic functions of garage band and i-movie. 

Analysing movie titles

The class has been asked to analyse 4 opening titles from movies of the same genre as the opening scene we hope to create.

Terminator (1984): 

The colour of the titles are very futuristic and could suggest to the audience that the movie takes place in the future. The font of the opening titles is also very futuristic, and also very conventional to the adventure genre, as titles in this genre usually take up most of the screen and are seen in front of a dark screen so that the audiences attention is drawn to the title. The title suggests that that the movie is about someone on a mission to kill someone/thing, as terminate can also mean to kill. The effect on the audience is that they are engaged in the movie as the title is bright and takes up most of the screen, this would also mean that the viewers are also immersed in the movie as the titles are heard to ignore. I don't think that the titles of my opening titles will have a similar style as my scene will not be set in the future, however I think that I will make my titles fill the entire screen, as this catches the audiences attention and makes them pay attention to the film.

Star Wars (1977):

The colour of the titles is a bright yellow to stand out from the black background, it could also be to grab the audiences attention when it appears onscreen. The font of these titles is very conventional to the adventure genre as it takes up most of the screen and is shown in front of a dark background. The title suggests that a war is taking place and that the movie is set in another galaxy, the titles of this movie suggests that this movie is also very important, as the large title and bright colour makes people notice the titles. These titles grab the audiences attention and introduce the film boldly, which would make a lot of viewers want to keep watching the film. I would like my titles to fill the screen, however I don't think that I will choose such a bright colour for my titles as I would like them to be more realistic

Harry Potter and the philosophers stone (2001):

The colour of the titles suggests that the film is extremely important and could also tell the audience that the film needs to be watched as it is very important. The font for these titles is quite unconventional, as it incorporates a lightning bolt into the title, however the font is relevant to the story and setting of the film. The titles tell the audience who the film is about and some context into the plot of the film. The effect of the title is that it draws the audiences attention to the screen, this is because of the colour being gold and because of the unusual and iconic font. I would like to include a similar colour in my titles as it draw the audiences attention, although I think that the font would be hard to recreate and wouldn't fit into the setting of my scene.

Iron man (2009):

The colour of the titles could suggest to the audience that the movie they are about to watch is very important and needs to be watched immediately, the gold colour could also be foreshadowing of the colour of iron mans suit, which is red and gold. This font is very conventional as it is not only in front of a dark background and taking up the entire screen, it is also a very large font and in all capitals, which could have been done to ensure that the audiences attention is focused on the title. The titles suggest that this film is based on a pre-existing marvel comic series, and could also provide the audience with some information about the main character. The audience could be intrigued by the opening titles of this film, as they 'demand' to be acknowledged and read as they cover most of the screen. I would like to include this colour in my opening titles as it is hard for viewers to ignore, although I don't think I would use this font, as it is not very mysterious.

Analysis of sound in opening titles- Lord of the Rings