Production Log; Week Three

Focusing on opening sequences, credits, titles and sound i have realised how important and opening sequence is. An audience can tell alot about a film from the first two minutes and can determine there opinion on the film and if they want to continue to watch it. They usualy only show bits of the film jsut to give the audience a back ground to the film, maybe showing a few main characters and the location of the film, although it could be an animated sequence or one with pictures or colours underneath the credits and title.
The opening credits can consist of either the entire crew that helped in the making of the film, or just a selected few that the film crew think will be more important to the audience, mainly actors, directors and producers. In terms of actors and characters, some films have showed the charcater with there name or actord name just to show the audience abit about them so already they can make up thier mind who they like, like in Snatch. Also the use of known actors, directors and producers helps in the appeal of a film as the audience will know if there past films are good or bad and can try to work out how the film will be, for example, Jason Statham is usualy seen as being in action films and mostly playing a lone part with no partner. Films tend not to list the whole crew in an opening sequence as the audience will get bored as it tends to drag on abit, with information the audience feel they do not need.

The music or diagetic sound has a huge affect on the audience as they can determine the mood and atmoshpere of a film through this. the music usualy tends to be jsut the music and no spoken words as this takes away from the mood and pays more attention to the song.

The typography used in an opening sequence is quite important also as it will appeal more to an audience if it is attractive and more important goes with the theme of the film. If it stands out people are more likley to remember and then can create a bigger audience through word of mouth.

This research will help in my own making of an opening sequence, i know what will be best to use to create most audience awareness and keep them interested and wnating to watch right from the beginning of the film. I prefer a film that shows a bit of background to the story whilst playing music that goes well with the mood, helping the audience to involve them selves and feel apart of the film, being able to relate and feel for the characters. In terms of credits, i do not want to bore my audience so will keep to a minimum of names. I want my film to be memorable and spoken about so i am going to choose a theme and stick to it, in terms of typography so that anything that had that typography in the future, maybe if i wanted to be involved in cross media convergence or synergy they would recognise the typograhpy and know it is related to my film.

Pre Production - Analysing Sound

I analysed Bullet Boy up to the first 2 minutes.

Pre Production - Institutional Credits in Opening Sequence

Pre Production - Conventions of an Opening Sequence

Miss Severn; Moodboard

Analysing British Social Realism Conventions

Mr P's 750 words

Production Log; Week Two.

British Social Realist films the very ' kitchen sink ' view of the world in social realist films is potryed in thier conventions and codes and helps to send across there message and helps in thier audience appeal. Unlike Hollywood films, which appeal to a main stream audince, these films appeal to a niche audience. The themes in social realist are very ' grey coloured ' and focus on the less appealing side to life and more of the troubles and problems people go through. Themes include things like sex, domestic violence, crime and many more which do not show the cheery side to life. The films focus on a number of themes during, instead of focusing on one main theme as this helps to potry the life of working and under class people and the difference between the two.This appeals to thier audience and they can relate more to these themes as these are everyday things that will occur in thier life and do not have the hollywood film view of life, where things are always resolved and have a happy ending. The mis - en - scene also shows a very murky, dull view of life, often using council estates or small houses, for example in fish Tank, showing the estae that Mia lives on which is not very clean or nice to look at and just looks like a basic estate that has not been bothered with. Thier niche audience can relate to this as they do not live in big, posh houses. they have to live with what they are given and only get what they can afford, which, in most cases, is very little. Dialogue is a key convention in a british social realist as thier niche audience can relate to their accents, slang and ways of speaking. In Kidulthood, for example, the slang that they use will relate to a niche audience more than a mainstream one as they will understand the dialogue and can then feel and relate highly to the characters and the film.

Looking at opening sequences this week, i can tell the difference between Hollywood and Social Realist films. Hollywood tend to have more fancy typography and visual effects where an social realist film will show a more realistis opening, as an important part of thier films is verisimilitude and showing true real life in the eyes of working or under class people. Social realist films will also tend to use more british music in the opening sequence and not a very popular, well known song.


The research into conventions of social realism films and there opening sequences has impacted on my idea for my own opening sequence of a british social realism production. I know that in my opening sequence, any fancy editing techniques will not help in the verisimilitude of my film. Also, during my opening sequence i should not give to much of the film away and stick to bare minimum of detail so that my audience are intrigued and want to watch the film. During my opening sequence i should not use diagetic sound, only non diagetic as this will add to the atmosphere in the film, and this is usualy a sound track made specificaly for the film.

The History of British Social Realism Films.

To Be Completed :)