Initial Ideas

Title Sequence - Buried

Moodboard - Our first idea

Today we tried to summarise our first idea for the main task in a moodboard. It shows basic ideas in form of pictures. Our moodboard is divided in two parts; on the left is a glade, a bird and a couple; on the right is a dark forest and a dark person. The two parts are connected through the spyglass in the middle.

So our basic idea was two people (a couple) on a glade being watched by someone in the forest.

The problem is that we probably won't be able to put this idea into operation, because the opening should actually take place in spring or summer, but it's almost winter now and spring would be too late to start filming. 

British Board of Film Classification

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) was established in 1912. Since then, they've been classifying cinema films independently from the government, and also videos and DVDs since 1984.

BBFC based their classifications for films on their guidelines, which they made up of consultation of the public and research.
The films are classified in seven different categories.

Universal - Suitable for all

• suitable for audience aged 4 and over
• positive moral framework
• counterbalances to violence, threat or horror
• no discrimination
• no references to drugs
• only brief, mild and unlikely scenes of horror
• no potentially dangerous behaviour
• only very mild bad language
• nudity only mild and occasionally
• no sexual context
• only mild sexual behaviour, such as kissing, and only references
• problematic themes may be present
• sensitive and appropriate treatment with problematic themes
• only mild violence

Recently classified: LOUYRE - THIS OUR STILL LIFE



Parental Guidance - General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children

• unaccompanied children of all age may watch
• not disturbing for children aged 8 and older
• parents have to consider whether their children could be upset
• discrimination only in historical context
• references to drugs must carry a clear anti-drug message
• no prolonged or intense of frightening scenes
• no detail of potentionally dangerous behaviour
• only mild bad language
• only natural nudity
• no sexual context
• only discreet and infrequent sexual activity
• no themes condoning unacceptable behaviour
• only mild and justified by context violence without detail

Recently classified: MEMPHIS



12/12A - Suitable for 12 years and over

• works may upset younger children
• 12A for cinema films
• 12 for video works
• no discrimination endorsed by the work as a whole
• only infrequent and not glamorised misuse of drugs
• only moderate physical and psychological threat
• no dangerous behaviour on detail
• moderate language allowed
• only infrequent use of strong language
• nudity allowed
• only brief and discreet sexual context
• brief sexual activity
• mature themes acceptable
• moderate violence allowed, but not on detail

Recently classified: THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE



15 - Suitable only for 15 years and over

• work mustn't endorse discrimination
• drug taking may be shown but not promoted or encouraged
• (no sadistic or sexualised) strong threat allowed
• no dangerous behaviour on detail
• may contain frequent use of strong language
• nudity allowed in sexual context, but not on detail
• sexual activity permitted, but not on detail
• may contail strong violence

Recently classified: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3



18 - Suitable only for adults

• adults should be free to choose their own entertainment
• no material in breach of the criminal law
• no material risking harm of individuals or society
• no more explicit sexual activity than justified by context

Recently classified: SLEEPING BEAUTY



R18 - To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years

• special, legally restricted classification
• explicit work containing sex or strong fetish material
• no material in breach of criminal law
• no material encouraging an interest in sexually abusive activity
• no sexual activity involving lack of consent
• no infliction of pain or acts causing lasting physical harm
• no penetration associated with violence
• no sexual threats, humiliation or abuse which is not part of roleplaying game
• no strong physical or verbal abuse

Film Opening - Wo Ist Fred?

The film opening of "Wo Ist Fred?" starts with the names of the producing companys on a blank black screen, then fast, happy music starts playing and the screen fades into the first shot of Fred in his car.
It is a mid shot him, wearing a protective helmet and looking fairly stressed.
The name of the actor, Til Schweiger, appears, to let the audience know that a famous actor plays in that film.
Fred turns on the radio and the reporter tells that a basketballgame is about to begin in a few minutes.  
While driving Fred starts changing his clothes, what makes the audience wonder where he comes from, why he is in such a hurry and if he is on the way to that game. 
The shots change between mid shots of him and long shots of the car that lurches about the road, because Fred is driving and getting changed at the same time.
While the radio reporter is still talking about the game and the music is still playing in the background, the location changes into a stadium. We see an extreme long shot of the court with cheerleaders dancing and the title of the film is blended in.
Names of other famous actors playing in the film are shown and the shot changes between Fred in the car and the cheerleaders on the court, what makes us know now that he is on the way to the game and that he's late.
Then the opening lets us know who Fred is probably going to meet at the stadium, because we see a long shot of a thickly boy sitting on a seat, and a woman walking towards him, sitting down next to him and handing him a huge cup with the Coca-Cola sign on it. The fact that she calls him "darling", buys him coke and then puts his basketballscarf around his neck makes the audience consider that she's his mum.
At the same time we wonder about the contrast between Fred, who drives an old car and obviously works as a builder, and the woman who's dressed rather fashionable. The shots change between Fred and the woman and the boy, who throws the whole cup away, because it's diet coke, what makes him already unlikeable for the audience.
We now see shots of the basketballteam running onto the court and then a close up of Fred rummaging around in his car and finally finding a case, at which he glances with relief. That makes the audience assume that he's going to aks the woman at the stadium to marry him, because the case looks like a ring case and Fred is now half-dressed in a chemise and a tie.
Next, we see a mid shot of the woman, glancing around with a searching look on her face; she's probably waiting for Fred.

Film Opening - Juno

The film "Juno" starts with the short sequence of the involved company "Fox Searchlight Pictures".

 

 The actual opening begins with an establishing long shot of Juno standing in front of a house.

 

The word "Autumn" appears in the top right corner of the frame, written into the sky, that matches the word with it's warm brown-orange colour.

The frame includes Juno und the left edge and a house on the right edge, filmed from a higher angle. 

In the background you can hear birds twittering, the atmospheare seems mild and friendly through the warm light.

It continues with a long shot from Juno on the left and an armchair on the right. Juno drinks orange juice out of a bottle and watches the chair, as we can see in the next shot. It makes the audience want to know why she stands in front of a house watching an armchair and why it's standing there.

The next shot is a close up of Juno's face, what makes us see her facial expressions. She looks like she couldn't believe what she's seeing.

Juno starts telling her story voice-over with: "It started with a chair."

We see a review now and the location changes into a room. We can see Junos naked legs at the front and someone sitting in the armchair in the background.
The light in the room is warm and orange. Juno starts walking towards the armchair slowly and the camera is tracking. 
Slow, calming music is playing.

The next shot is a mid shot of Juno filmed from behind the person in the chair. She smiles uncertain.

The shot changes into an extreme close up of Juno's and the other person's lips they talk.

The  next shot shows a close up of Juno's face kissing the other person.

The review is interrupted by a barking dog and changes back to Juno in front of the house. The opening continues with a shot/reverse shot of Juno (mid shot) and the dog (long shot). Juno screams at the dog and seems very angry.

We see the armchair next, as an over-the-shoulder shot, and then a close up of Juno drinking orange juice. She looks disappointed and a little helpless.

 

For the last two minutes of the opening, we see different shots of Juno as a cartoon and the names of people involved in the making of the film. A nice and happy song plays and Juno is walking.

The camera is following her movement, we start to identify with her and see her as the main character. 

Through the cartoon it all seems a little childish and infantile.

Final Preliminary Video

Here is the YouTube-Link to my final video for the preliminary exercise!
And here is Alina's.

Logo

Today we tried to make up a name and a logo for "our company", that should appear in our film opening.

We tried different combinations of our names (Joelle Piep and Alina Iker), like "Joelina", "Alinelle"or "JIPA", and in the end chose a combination of Piep and Iker, "Pieker".

Main Task

Our main task is to create the main titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of three minutes.

Codes and Conventions

What are Codes and Conventions?
Codes are tools of filmmaking like music, costumes, scripts, camera angles or framing. Convention is the way the codes are used. It makes the audience understand a character or a scene in a film and even to like or dislike it. To show for example an evil character walking along a street, the music would be threatening and the whole scene very dark. If the character was shown in bright light with friendly music in the background in the same street, the effect would be the opposite.


What Codes and Conventions are used in film openings?/What is the purpose of a film opening?
In a film opening you can always see the logo of the company, that produced or worked on the film, followed by a blank screen or establishing shot with the title of the film. Also, when there are famous actors playing in the movie, they'll be shown in the beginning.
Sometimes film openings show a Flashback, a key event that happened before the acutal action of the film, or they start with one of the characters narrating.
A film opening should make the audience get an idea of the action and characters and make them want to see the whole film.


For example:

Horror

• dark
• creepy
• thrilling music
• screams
• shadows

Action

• gunshots
• sirens
• loud and fast

Film Opening - Saw

• Logos of the companys 
• blank black screen with producers and title
• dark room
• deep voice speaking
• bloody corpse
• creepy, thrilling music playing
• blank black screen with producers