Finished Opening Sequence

Finally, the thriller opening is complete. It has all reach an end... for now. I hope you have enjoyed, as much as I have, each step of making this opening sequence. It's sad that this project is complete but it just means that there is time for another. So I do hope you enjoy and share the opening sequence to my first ever thriller opening: 'Obsession'.

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Goodbye for now!

Evaluation - Question 7

Looking back on your preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?
 

Looking back on the preliminary task, it becomes evident that I have learnt a tremendous amount more about how to create a film opening than I did at the beginning of the year. Now I understand the different stages of creating a film products.
The preliminary task involved filming and editing someone walking across a room, walking up stairs, opening a door and sitting opposite someone else for a short conversation. The task included different angled shots including shot reverse shot, 180 degree angle and match on action. The only sounds used where diegetic sounds and the camera wasn't always steady as it was handheld. Also, there was no special effects included into this clip.

On the other hand, when it came to creating the thriller opening sequence there was a lot more to be done. Titles, music/audio, lighting, props, costumes, actors, location, editing and effects all needed to be added to create an effective thriller, most of which were new to me as I had not used them in my preliminary task or anywhere else previously.
Most of the shots in my preliminary task were either long shots or medium shots, while my thriller consisted the majority of the time by close and extreme close ups, followed by middle shots.



Evaluation - Question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

From the beginning of constructing my thriller opening, I have been learning to use a range of new technologies that I hadn't even heard of before. Some proved to be more of an advantage than others. I needed to go through different stages in the constructing of my product and each stage required different technologies. Check them out!

Evaluation - Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

Evaluation - Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?
 

Evaluation - Question 3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media project and why?

After researching the different media institutions that would possibly distribute my media project, I have decided that the most likely company would be Entertainment One, also known as eOne.

 

 

Entertainment One is one of the premier names in independent film distribution in the UK and Ireland. This means they would have the means and money to successfully distribute my film, Obsession. Furthermore, as they have a distribution deal with Universal Pictures, which is one of the Big Six, it would be more likely to have help from them than a company not in partnership. Entertainment One also owns or has a third party content to 3,000 retail partners through its networks across Canada and the U.S. Therefore, there is a much larger distribution service to help my film.

 

Entertainment One would be ideal when distributing my film as they have in addition worked on distributed thriller films which have gone on to have sequels, such as 'Insidious' and 'Woman in Black'. Another successful film that they have released is 'The King's Speech', a British independent films such as my own.

My thriller film wouldn’t require an enormous budget as the actors would have to be unknown to the audience to make it more believable. It could also be shot in public areas for authenticity, however this will be part of the cost due to the rights to film in the locations.

In my thriller opening I have used my 'Frightmare Productions' logo. However, if eOne were to distribute my film then their name would also be among the titles. Frightmare Productions would market the film through viral marketing as people would not have heard about my film. On the other hand, with the help of Entertainment One, my film could also be advertise in theatres as people would be familiarised with the name Entertainment One, or Universal if they are also involved, and would therefore be more willing to go watch it as it would have grasped their attention.

Evaluation - Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

 



Evaluation - Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Throughout my thriller opening I have used many conventions of real media products, such as those seen in 'Seven' where there are close ups of the protagonists hands and the objects involved, like the writing in the notebook. Blurriness or having the titles introduced on the screen by an object flying by are another couple conventions I have used. However, I have developed some of the titles to be incorporated into the scenes as part of the prop.

I challenge some of the forms of real media products as the villain and the victim are females but it is gives the impression that it may also be the males. Therefore, I am using snares throughout to keep the audience guessing to who the miscreant is, same as many of the other thriller film.

As you see below, there are images and explanations of specific moments used in my thriller film opening where I either use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products:

 

1. This image shows the dark and mysterious scenes associated with the thriller genre. It sets the tone of the film and introduces the  villain in a hidden way, keeping the audience guessing to who it is.
2. Here the image's colours have been changed to appear more dreamlike, giving the illusion of a flashback. It has also introduced and highlighted the red watch, signifying the running out of time as well as a connection between the victim and the villain as the red connotes danger and evil.
3. The white coat and the brushing of the hair emphasises the innocence of the victim as it uses the typical colours associated with innocence, naivety and purity.
4. The distortion is a well known convention used and associated with a thriller as it establishes the mental state of the protagonist. Also, it suggests to the audience that everything isn't always as straight forward as it seems.
5. Here I have developed the titles to be a part of the shot as it appears to be parted down the middle by the reflection of the glass. This insinuates the different sides to the characters' personalities. Additionally, the red nail varnish resembles blood as it is smeared onto the nail. This challenges the thriller genre by implying the villain is a female rather than a male as accustomed.
6. The close up of scissors enforces the typical thriller genre as it is unclear who is holding the scissors, what they want with the stained straw and by having the scissors it makes the audience wonder if it will appear again later as a weapon.
7. Image seven uses the well known over the shoulder shot but focused on what is seen in the mirror. This is used to give the feeling of being watched yet it isn't clear whether it's the villain or not doing the watching.
8. This is a typical shot used in a thriller as it is an extreme close up, preventing the audience of knowing who is writing and what is being written.
9. The final image here shows the paper of the repeated words 'DIE' burning. It enforces the idea of violence, obsession and danger and leaves the audience to wonder as to who is going to die and why.

Music for Thriller Opening

Comparing my editing version to the original cover, it is clear that it is shorter and the change in beat appears a lot sooner. Some parts of the song have been cut out, hence the overlapping which was put in place to link sections of the song further along, and other parts have been layered in order to create an echo or make it sound stronger, as if you were listening to it only in your head.

 I edited the song to fit the rhythm of the beats to the rhythm of the changing clips. Many of the lyrics are also linked to what is being seen, such as the lyrics 'your love's got me looking, got me looking so crazy in love', which are in sink with the cut and change of zoomed in shots. In that example I also layered the song to have polyphonies, to connote being constantly observed and resemble a choral, suggesting insanity. Furthermore, as this is the finished piece used in the sequence, the lighting of the match and cutting of the scissors have also been added to the audio. This was specifically done due to their importance in the film, as some have noticed, since they are possible murder weapons.

Obsession - Finished Opening Sequence

Edited Audio for Thriller

(For original song see post titled 'Music for Thriller Opening' or go to https://youtu.be/Jl8fV1jUQPs)

For my thriller film, the audio has been edited in after filming to be in sync with the visual effects. As soon as the audio starts there is a combination of diegetic (the match lighting) and non-diegetic sounds. The music has been layered over itself, and shortened compared to the original, to make the piano echo and dominant, this is done until the singing commences. At 35 seconds, the tone changes and more instruments are introduced, here a part of the song has been edited as the lyrics weren't as important and so there would be a change to the rhythm, to demonstrate the change in the antagonists personality as she becomes more unstable.

At 48 seconds there is a sting to emphasise the shrine and another part has been eliminated from the original soundtrack. As the thriller music continues to the part where it says "your love's got me looking, got me looking so crazy in love", a large part has been cut out from the original audio as there needed to be a build up. This was done by cutting out the audio from 1.20s to 2.28s of the original so that the words could link up; part of it was also layered for a smooth transition.
If listened from 1.18s on my thriller audio, it is clear that the voices have been layered out of sync to create the echoes when the word crazy is said, linking in with voices in someone's head and mental unstableness. The layered audio then stops at 1.41s and fades out at the end to imply that something bad is now going to happen.
For this audio I did the editing on Final Cut Pro X so that I could sync it accordingly with the footage.

Music for Thriller Opening - Research

When it came to the audio to my thriller opening sequence, I decided that I would add non-diegetic music to created the dark, suspicious atmosphere required to keep the audience attentive. There would still be the occasional diegetic sounds, such as the match lighting or the scissors cutting, to emphasis their meaning.
Unfortunately, when I started with my sequence I did not realise it would be more practical to commence with the audio and then cut the video to fit the music. However, once the sequence's had been cut accordingly and was ready for the sound, I was able to cut the music to be in sink with what the viewer would see on the screen. Therefore, I believe it made it better as there was more of a story to the opening sequence.
When I first started with my music, I was going to compose it myself using Garage Band. However, I was not achieving the sounds or effects I was looking for, so I moved on to searching a song that could be used and edited to fit my opening sequence. The song's lyrics had to have meaning and relate to the story of my thriller, therefore I researched songs including the lyrics similar to 'I'm crazy' or something related to being interested or 'obsessed' with somebody else. I tended to look at famous songs sung by new YouTube artists in search of fame to have a different, unknown voice singing the song. This would signify the way the villain is a known character, appear normal but has something different that's hidden from first sight.
The song 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley, cover by Daniela Andrade, was a good choice when taking into consideration the lyrics and pace at which it was going:

However, after being added to the sequence and edited slightly to fit the video, I realised that it did not match the mood of the thriller as it was too slow paced while the sequence is more fast paced, and there wasn't enough of what I wished to portray in the meaning of the lyrics. So my search continued...
After researching many more songs, I came across a song that had the slightly creepy, dark and sinister atmosphere required. The song is a cover of  Beyonce's second version of 'Crazy In Love', sung by a young YouTube artist named Sofia Karlberg:

This song is perfect as it set the right atmosphere between both locations, making it clear to the audience through sound, as well as through the editing, that they were related and intertwined. This song starts with the instrumentals and singing in the minor key, making it clear what type of film it will be. Further along the beat changes, making things more intense as there is more occurring and things are faster paced, which emphasises the danger.

Production Logo Finished

The production logo defines what type of films this 'company' produces, hence the combination of the words 'fright' and 'nightmare' to create 'Frightmare Productions'.
This productions logo is simple yet straight to the point with flashing lights, to refer to the lighting heard in the background, and clear typography and font to make it memorable to the audience.

Feedback from Opening Sequence

After posting the video on YouTube I shared it on Facebook, again, for further feedback. These were some of the comments I received:

These comments were helpful as they got the reaction I wanted from the audience. This particular person picked up on some of the effects I had intended on receiving when the public watched this opening sequence. For example, having the names incorporated into the scene so that they are more eye catching, or having the match and scissors hint to what may happen.

Making the Production Logo

After researching types of productions logos, it became evident that it had to have some sort of movement or feature to make it eye catching and memorable to the audience, if possible sound would need to be included to add to the memorabilia. Once a typography had been settled on (see Typography post), I used Adobe Photoshop to create the chosen titles. On this programme, the line height, kerning, line weight and so much more were able to be changed.

Once the titles were complete, they were then transferred to Final Cut Pro where the effects could be added along with the sound. The sound and effects were to appear as though there was a thunder storm going on and the titles would then appear and disappear according to the thunder sounds, while at the same time fading in and out of focus depending on the lightning.



The sound was added before the editing took place, to ensure that it would not be too long and that the effects of the titles would be parallel to the audio for the best quality. Once again, layering was used on the sound of the production logo to create stings and personalise the audio to my production.

Above you can hear the original sound effects from which I constructed the audio for the production logo. It is now shorter and layered with stings to emphasise the thunder and titles as they flash in and out of focus.

Title Font Choice

This font is ironically called 'Dreaming of Lilian'. I have chosen to use it for my title as the low case 'o' gives the religious, or even 'Satanic', impression. This links to the ritual idea in the opening sequence and makes it appear as though there is more to the story. You could even say something similar about the 'e', as the three 'paths' link together at the centre, demonstrating the malefactor's intentions all linking to that one person being stalked and relating all the props seen in the opening sequence. The font is clear and relates to the genre, as well as the story, of the thriller film.

Production Logos - Research

A production logo is the 'tag' a company uses to brand what they produce, used by television producing companies. What differentiates a production logo from a normal logo is that they use movement and sound. In films they are usually shown at the beginning, while in TV programmes they appear at the end.

A production logo is important as it helps people associate a genre with the company, which prepares them for the sort of film they are going to see. Also, the better known the production logo/company then the more likely that the people will watch the film as they will know the companies reputation and therefore will expect quality.

For example, if someone was to see the Sleeping Beauty castle, they would automatically associate it with Disney, which in turn makes people think of fairy tale classics and magical lands. So when people see this production logo, or even hear the music to it, they will know that they are about to watch a family film full of adventure and, most likely, music and magic.

 On the other hand, if people were to see the 'Twisted Pictures' production logo they would most likely associate it with horror films, such as the Saw film series. Apart from the name stating clearly what type of films they produce, the image of the wire binding and then unbinding the words, leaving scratches all over them, paints a clear picture of what to expect. Additionally, the sound chosen for this production logo is a scream at the end after the sounds of the scrapping wires, which once again reinforces the idea of the film being a horror or thriller based genre.

Not all production logos will clearly state by the name what type of films they produce. However, with the help of the sounds and movements, the audience will be able to get some idea. They can be as long as five to thirsty seconds long, depending on the what movement is involved to keep the viewers' attention focused.

Feedback for 'Obsession Opening Sequence - 2'

 

Obsession Opening Sequence - 2

Learning to Use the Equipment - Tripod

Areas of the tripod and their meanings

• Head - the area from the centre column elevator upwards. The area where the camera goes.
• Ball Head - the green circle with the small bubble that allows you to centre the camera angle.
• Leg Lock Lever - allows you to change the length/height of the telescoping leg.
• Brace - the part between the three telescoping legs that keeps them in place.
• Crank Handle - the handle that allows you to crank the centre column  elevator up and down accordingly.
• Centre Column Elevator - the piece that connects the head with the telescoping legs. Also, goes up and down to give the camera more/less height.
• Pan-Handle - the handle that allows you to move the camera sideways and up and down.
• Plate - the piece that disconnects from the tripod, connects to the bottom of the camera and then reconnects to the tripod in order to keep the camera attached safely.
• Quick Release Platform - the area and small handle that holds/releases the plate from the tripod.

Rotating Titles - Reaseach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIOvlibX-jA&safe=active

When it came to making the titles, most were no problem. However, I couldn't figure out how to rotate the texts and even after asking around, I couldn't find the solution. Therefore I had to turn to YouTube tutorials, where I came across a video that explained it (check link above). Most of the video wasn't very useful but it did have the answers I was looking for.



After watching this tutorial I was able to change my work from this horizontal text, where it just stands out incorrectly against the lipstick lid:

to this slanted text:

This helps improve my work as the titles fit better with their surroundings and become more involved in the feature, making them more eye catching to the audience and more memorable.

First attempt at Garage Band

When I started with my thriller music, I chose to use Garage Band to create it as it is efficient, easy to use and allows you to manipulate the instrument's volume, pitch and speed to your liking. Below is a demonstration of how I used Garage Band. Yet after learning how to use the programme properly, I had many different attempts of what my thriller music would be like, and came to the conclusion that it would be more effective for my thriller if I found and edited an already published song.

Below is my first try at Garage Band and my first idea for the thriller audio.

Obsession Title Sequence - 2

This video is an updated version of the first opening sequence. It has been edited and improved along with the help of peoples' feedback. Some people, after watching this clip, were asked to answer  a few questions to help me with  my next steps.
Even though there is still no audio in this clip, as it still needed some adjustments, the audience were quite impressed and pleased with it, due to there being effects to help entertain people as well as make it interesting to view.