Evaluation Activity 1

Sarah Gorman

Here are some screen grabs, from the final version of our film which challenge forms and conventions of a real life movie. I will comment on each one, suggesting how they are typical or not typical of a film of a particular genre.

This feature is typical of what you would expect to see in a movie opening sequence. Because it shows the company in which produces the film, some suggest the company producers, for example ‘SE’ stands for both of our names.

Title sequences, which involve actors, producers and directors names are a vital feature with in an opening sequence, because they make us aware of these things. Most films use this as an advantage, if they have a popular actor/tress, it will then encourage viewers. Title sequences tend to appear between short clips of the beginning which give the audience short snippets of the story. The font we used was simplistic, white on a black background, because there wasn’t much too it, which then added to the mystery of it all.

This scene differentiates between being typical and non typical of what you would expect to see. The fact that it is set in a school library, suggests the age of the characters which then links back to the main story line. Opening sequences tend to introduced the characters and the settings, they are in, which then builds up the story. However, it is different from what is typical because of the length of the dialogue. We did it so we could use a two shot as well as a shot reverse shot and to put the story across as clearly as possible.

At the beginning of the sequence, when the character is being followed. We used a point of view shot to make it seem as though she was being followed, using the hedge in the shot to make it more realistic. We then chose to add an effect hard light, we did this because we felt as though it made the scene more dramatic and eerie. As the character was being chased, running we also added slow motion, which I think made it more dramatic, sounds of birds also added to the verisimilitude. Subtle effects that make a scene more dramatic occurs often in an open sequence to draw the viewer in this. This scene also introduces the first character that gets kidnapped.

This screen grab shows someone focussing on one girl, this would then suggest that someone was being stalked, which helps the opening sequence set up the story. Because it suggests that the story involves a stalker which makes it clear that it is a thriller.

By having Costa coffee van in the background, shows that it is in a built up area and in a shop setting. In all opening sequences, there is a scene that suggests the environment in which the film is in. We also carry on to build up the story line with the stalker following different girls, by using a vignette effect to make it seem more realistic as well as more mysterious and a jump with in the shot.

This scene helps to justify the class and setting that the film is in. There is a posh car in the mise en scene as well as a dress shop, both things suggest a working class environment. This adds even more to the story line and gives the audience more of an overall insight, which is what an opening sequence is meant to entail.

As our final scene, we used a grave yard which is a typical setting in a thriller/ crime, the figure is in a black silhouette, which makes it seem more mysterious and fitting with the genre. Most opening sequences of a thriller theme contains a short, dramatic scene that draws an audience in even more.

The title of a thriller tends to be short, sharp and straight to the point. I believe that our title does this and links to the story line. The word obsession, makes it clear about the stalker. We used a black and white colour scheme, which suits the genre.