Reservoir Dogs Remake

Here is my groups' remake of the famous Reservoir Dogs (1992) opening sequence!

Dexter Preliminary Evaluation

Summarise the conventions of title sequences that were most important to this task.

• When creating a title sequence it is important to include all the cast and crew credits as this is a requirement by law. 
• These names must appear on the screen for an appropriate amount of time and in a legible size and font, enough for any audience to read comfortably. 
• They must also be the same colour and font in relation to each other in order to maintain the theme across the entire title sequence. 
• For our task, names were not so much an issue as we had to make up ourselves and did not have a set limit to how many we should include. We did however ensure they all were the same size, and in a font that matched the theme of the Dexter title sequence. 

How did your group plan to edit the titles sequence?

• The placing of each name was key for this task. We first watched the whole title sequence to gain a feel of its mood, then we watched it a second time to look out for any gaps or specific times when we thought a name was needed. 
• We worked from the beginning adding in the names where they fit and then when all were in the correct locations we went back in and added special effects to a few we felt required them, in order to enhance mood and the theme.  

Explain the creative decisions made by your group.

• We decided to go with the font 'Insomnia' because we felt it was typical of the drama genre, especially with its slashes across the letters all in capital. 
• As for SFX, the certain names which we did add them too were chosen only if the action taking place in that shot was not very distracting or busy. For example, on the name 'Arianna Tipper' which went over the coffee maker, we chose an effect that spun the letters round to mimic the coffee beans blending in the background. 

How does your re-edit compare to the original?

• The original used red text while we used white, I felt this was not a major difference as both fit the theme and were easy to read over all the backgrounds. 
• The original also included a lot more cast and crew credits (around 23) while we only had 11, this is probably due to all the restrictions and rules of who they had to include. Plus we had a strict time limit and so planned the maximum number of names would be able to create. 
• The original also used a different font and located some of the names differently. This is bound to be the case however we did have our names placed on a lot of the same shots as the original Dexter title sequence. 

Continuity Preliminary Evaluation

Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

• My group consisted of Alex.E, Alex.S, Olivia and myself.
• We each decided to take equal responsibility of the whole task during planning: creating a script, shot list, storyboard, shooting schedule and proposal one by one as a team, discussing our ideas and views as we went along.
• During filming, Alex.E and Olivia took on acting roles whilst myself and Alex.S filmed. I was however included in a few short shots, and so at this time and whenever Alex.E and Olivia were not in shots, they filmed. This enabled us to share out the role of filming as evenly as possible and gave them a chance to work behind the camera too, and for me to take on acting for a bit.
• As for editing, me and Olivia worked together to create one final product, and Alex.S and Alex.E worked on our footage too to create their own finished clip. I feel me and Olivia worked very efficently on this section of the task, taking turns on the mouse and helping each other out where need be to finish well within our time limit. 

The rest of my team hard at work.

How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?

• Our first task was to come up with an idea, so we brainstormed a few, then cut the ideas down to ones which we thought would be effective and practical, and finally took a vote on which was our favorite.
•  Next we began to create a script, followed by a shot list which translated onto our storyboard, and finally our shooting schedule and a proposal.
• We also decided as a group to visit our location and go through our sequence to see if everything would go to plan, and to check it would all make logical sense. This proved to be vital as we ended up changing our location due to space restrictions in the one we had originally plamnned.  
• We ensured to take into consideration Roland Barthes 5 codes and all of the film making conventions; especially when creating our script and shot list. Our clip's genre was comedy and so to portray this to the audience we created a humorous plot with funny dialogue.
• Whilst editing we tried our best to include and cut clips in order to follow and create the continuity conventions such as shot-reverse-shot, the 180 degree rule and matching actions.

What technology did you use to complete the task and how did you use it?

• For editing, we used Adobe Premier Pro. I had previously used this program for editing in my media GCSE studies however Olivia had not, so it was helpful for us both that i could teach her a few things and at the same time jog my memory on some of its features.
• Our clips had alraedy been captured before we started editing so all we needed to do was pick the best shots and crop them to size. We added in a title too and changed some of the volumes on our shots.
• For filming we used a Canon DV30 with a tripod. This enabled us to experiement with different angles and heights for our shots to create various effects. We altered the length of the tripods legs and adjusted the angle at which the camera was facing in order to do this.  

What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

• When planning, we had to take into consideration the amount of time we had available- we couldn’t create a script that was too long for example, or spend too long pondering over one aspect of the task.
• We also had to take into account the locations that were available to us, since we were filming during school time and had to stay on the premises.
• When shooting it was important that we remembered the technology at hand, and also to budget our time as it was very limited.
• And finally, during editing, time was also an issue but as it was only two us working together we found it much easier to manage.

Me and Olivia at our edit station.

How successful was your sequence? Identify what worked well, and in hindsight, what would you improve/ do differently?

• Overall I think our sequence was seccessful as we produced a clip which followed and demonstrated continuity coventions and rules within the allocated time- which was essentially what we needed to acheive.
• One thing that worked well for me was our group dynamics; we never encountered any major arguments or disagreements and almost always were on task. We listened to each others ideas and shared out all roles equally, playing even parts in the production of our sequence.
• Another thing that worked well was the timing of our piece, I feel the final product flows well and this is probably due to our tight cutting during editing.
• However, if I were to re-do this project, I would probably change the storyline of our sequence. We chose quite a simple idea and perhaps if we had gone with something more adventurous or from a different genre such as horror, we could have showed off more of our filming skills and techniques, such as tracks and pans and shaky shots by filming with hand instead of using a tripod.
• We also could have managed time slightly better when planning. Although doing each planning task as a team worked out, it could have been more efficient to asign people to certain tasks.

What have you learnt from completing the task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework?

• From this task I have learnt to always be aware of continuity when filming. I now know how to match shots and how important it is that sequences always flow and make sense to an audience.
• It helped to reinforce my abilities of using the media cameras and editing software, which will help again when we use them later on in the year.
• Also working in a team has been a big part of this project, and we will be working in a team later on in the year to complete our coursework. It has helped me to understand other peoples skills and know what they are good at. Communication is always key as is being able to divide up tasks and work together effectively.

Homework DYM: Title Sequence Sound Analysis

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/stranger-than-fiction/

Dialogue 

A woman begins to narrate Harold's actions, and as he is tying his tie (0.53) she almost uses a mocking tone which highlights the obscurity of his strange ways. This also adds an element of humour to the title sequence, and effectively conveys the comedy genre aspect of the film. 

The last line of dialogue in the title sequence is 'On Wednesday, Harold's wrist-watch changed everything'. This is a powerful ending as it immediately creates a lot of enigma for an audience and poses many questions in their minds: How can a wrist-watch have such a large impact on a mans life? What happened to the wristwatch/what did it do? 

Music 

A very repetitive and simple tune chimes in around 0.50, sounding as if the same key is being played on a piano, this could symbolise the repetitiveness of Harold's life and enhances his boring and mundane morning routine.

At some points, another layer is added to the background music and this creates the impression of it almost resembling the musical tick of a clock. Since the title sequence plays a lot of emphasis on Harold's wrist-watch and timings, the constant drone of this is the background links to this and ensure we always remember it. 

Sometimes what Harold is doing corresponds to the rhythm of the music, and so even though it is    non-diegetic we as an audience gain the impression that he can almost hear it too. An example of this is at 1.13 when Harold is jogging for the bus and his footsteps match the beat of the piano. 

Sound Effects 

As we zoom in from outer space to Harold's bedroom, we hear general street noise such as traffic, dogs barking and chatter. This is accompanied with swoosh sound effects to emphasise the 'journey' we are taking. It also aids to establish the urban city setting. 

Many diegetic sounds accompany Harold's actions such as when he is brushing his teeth at 0.34 and when he is washing the dishes at 2.30. These sounds help to involve us in the narrative and make us feel closer to Harold as we are a part of his daily life. 

Homework BLK: Clip Analysis on Continuity

Clip from Love Actually (2003) 0.00 to 1.46

• A successful match-on-action is accomplished at 0.41 to 0.42 from two shots where Aurelia passes the phone over to Jamie. At first we are zoomed in on the hands and the first half of the passing of the phone takes place in a CU, then we are shown the second half from a slightly different angle in a MS and it appears to be one smooth seamless transaction.
• After this we have a change of scene, and to establish this new setting we are shown 3 very wide shots from the back, side and front of Jamie (master shot/ establishing shot). However this does not break the 180 degree rule and therefore the audience are able to understand Jamie's location in realtion to his surroundings which later on in the scene are used more.
• Cross cutting is also used a lot as Aurelia runs towards the lake and starts to undress, and Jamie is left behind yelling at her to stop. This creates the impression that the two events are happening simultaniously. 
• Similar master shots are re-used in order to establish the characters new positions and to highlight some of their actions (1.37 as Aurelia dives into the water and 1.18 as Jamie is climbing over the wooden beam).

Homework BLK: Continuity Clips

This is the result of my first shooting task for AS. The exercise was aimed to help us learn about continuity: we worked in groups to create a short clip on the theme of an 'accident' and weren't allowed any re-takes.  

Our Approach

We wanted to use a variety of shot types such as CU's and MS's, and were certain that we wanted a LS to be our first in order to act as an establishing shot. That way the audience would immediately be able to grasp the concept and location of our whole video. We also wanted to include some tracks and pans to experiment with camera movement and to ensure our audience was not bored with only static shots. 

As the task was based on continuity, another of our focuses was to match actions and cuts: we needed to create a fluid piece which made logical sense from all angles.  

What Worked Well

• I feel our establishing shot effectively put the audience in the know and allowed them to see each character in relation to each other, and the space between and around them.
• Our second shot (the OTS) involved and engaged the audience well. 
• Our cross cutting, which showed each character on their side of the wall gave various perspectives without confusing the audience.
• Our re-use of the master shot in order to show positional progression of the two characters. 
• The wide range of shots we used provided interest for a viewer. 
• We followed the 30 and 180 degree rules (although we weren't aware of it at the time!)

Possible Improvements

• Maybe the establishing shot right at the beginning gave too much of the enigma away and could have lost the interest of our audience. It may have been easy for them to guess what was about to happen.
• Perhaps the jump from shot 1 to 2 was too large, and could have disorientated the audience, it was from quite a different angle too (OTS). 
•  There were two people walking in the background in shot 2, which were not shown in shot 1- continuity error. It would be hard to cut these people out. 
• There are general gaps and pauses in dialogue and action between some of the shots (particularly between shot 2 and 3, and shot 5 and 6)

Here is our clip again, this time with some of the continuity errors edited out (not by us). As you can see it flows a lot more smoothly. 
Overall I am pleased with what we produced because I feel we have more positives about it than negatives, and the end result did make me laugh. However there is always room for improvement. 

Homework DYM: Roland Barthes' Five Codes

Clip from Diamonds Are Forever (1971, Sean Connery) 0.22-1.31

Enigma Code:

• Where are we? Setting, country etc.
• Who is the man in black? And who is kicking him? Why/what is their connection?
• Why is this man looking for Blofeld? Who is he? 
• Character reveal at 1.07- enigma is over and cannot be reversed. 
• What connection does the woman have to Blofeld? 

Action Code:

• Man is thrown through a wall, lands on the floor- we predict he will try to get to his feet and the person who did it might appear.
• Same man is kicked in the face- he should be severely injured, hurt or tired by now? We think he will give up and be defeated. 
• Cards are dealt in casino- a game will be played and gambling will take place.  
• Man punched in face- he could possibly be beat up some more, maybe similarly to the previous man in black. 
• Bond reaches to undo woman's bikini top- we suspect for romantic purposes.

Semiotic Code: 

• 0.24: stereotypical Japanese room. Connotes the whole of Japan, Japanese culture and its people. Abroad, foreign. 
• Men in suits/smartly dressed: power, authority, position of importance.
• Casino: represents wealth and power, also glamour and possibly greed, deceit, trouble and cheating. 
• Constant physical fighting shows action. 
• Beach-like setting with attractive woman in bikini: symbolises relaxation, 'living the good life', suggests we are at an exotic location or holiday destination. 

Cultural Code: 

• We may not have been to Japan but the room and its objects are what we have seen previously to represent the country and it is what we expect it to be like. 
• Fight scenes, one man will win while other looses. 
• 'Man on a mission' will not stop at any costs. 
• Dramatic music highlights dramatic moments- each kick and punch and throw. 
• 'Bond, James Bond' famous catchphrase. Associated with the iconic character. 

Symbolic Code: 

• Looking for something/someone, themes of adventure and mystery.
• Good vs. Evil?
• The man could be beating these people up for personal gain, or for goodwill. Is it greedy and selfish or morally right? 
• Action theme- fights.
• Calm setting at the start contrasts to the havoc which enters it shortly.

Homework BLK: Film Clip Analysis

Clip from 'Rush Hour', 1998.

Film Making Conventions

The scene starts with a shot of a car pulling up behind a fancy black gate, followed by a shot of two smartly dressed men behind the same gate but on the other side. This immediately creates a physical and metaphorical barrier between the two parties. 

The man who steps out of the car is dressed all in black and has a vibrant red tie, again this contrasts to the two mens' conventional suits with white shirts and further emphasises the difference between the two.

When conversing at the gate, many over-the-shoulder shots are used to show the two men are in conversation. (0.29, 0.33, 0.38 etc.)

At 0.05, the character standing in the foreground is in focus as he recieves a piece of information, then he passes it along to those behind him, and they are shown in focus as they recieve the information. Each persons positioning and focus in the shot shows exactly how much knowlegde they posess at that moment in time.

The film itself if categorised as an 'action comedy' and both these two genres can be clearly seen at 0.46 (action; fight scene) and 1.18 (humerous moment).  

Cultural Codes

Strong looking men in suits with deep voices, standing side by side, show power and strengh. Typically bodyguard/secuirty duo.  
 

Very fast paced and dramatic music starts once the 'chase' begins (1.09) and we as an audience can sense trouble is ahead. This music is often assiociated to someone running as we have heard in films before, and so we know what to expect and feel. 

Jackie Chan, a chinese man, starts to perform karate style moves and we are not surprised as this is almost steryotypical and makes sense in the audiences' mind.


The front gate, security guards with earpieces, winding road to the house, tall hedges and walls, curtains, large family portrait and high chairs in the main room all are symbols of wealth and quickly convey the familys' prosperity. 

Homework DYM: Film Still Analysis

This still is from the film 'Fracture' which I recently watched and highly recommend to lovers of the crime drama film genre.

Why I chose this shot: 

• It immediately appealed to me as I thought the idea of having the murderes reflection in a pool of the dying victims blood was very clever. We feel as if we are looking over the victim, but also can sense the murderer is looking over us as the viewer too, creating an eerie atmosphere and distance from the second character.
•  I felt both the lighting and colour schemes portrayed the themes of the film well. Essentially the entire narrative is based around this one murder and so all is mostly very serious and sinister throughout the film. The shot appears to have an icy blue tinge to it which could symbolise the murders cold-hearted and unnerving actions, along with the general dark wash and low key lighting that also conveys a sad and sombre tone, which follows throughout the film right until the very end. Finally, the victim herself is wearing a plain white top, perhaps to highlight the few blood stains and convey her innocence to the audince?
• The shot on its own also evokes questions: Who is the woman and the man overlooking her? Why is he staring instead of helping her? Did he kill her and why/how?

Homework BLK: Film Still and Evaluation

When taking shots, my group decided to focus on both the horror and thriller genres.

For this shot we wanted a location that looked remote and that also had naturally dark and shadowy lighting in order to effectively convey the horror genre to the audience. We thought these two technical codes were crucial in doing so as they both are used in horror films frequently when creating shots and scenes that evoke fear into an audience, along with some mystery and a sense of discomfort. Audiences associate these conventions with the genre and therefore will immediately know how to feel and react to this shot.

What We Did

To acheive this effect, we shot from a slight high angle which created a deep shadow on top of all the books and made it look as if it could almost stretch on forever into the unknown. This adds a horror-style feel to the shot. We also shot more to the left side of the object, (the hand) and not straight on so as to make it appear as if we were looking on from the characters perspective. However we still cannot see the face or body of this person and so we create even more mystery and enigma.

Was It Sucessful?

Personally I do feel this shot was succesful as just from looking at it, it's obvious which genre it belongs to. Also I think the shot is interesting in the sense it sparks many questions such as 'Who does the hand belong to?' and 'Why is this person in an old library?' 'What book do they need and why?'   

Possible Improvements

To improve this shot I think we could have done a number of things, for starters we could have shot on a duller day or blocked out the lighting to make the books themselves even more in shadow. This would emphasise their age and dust and perhaps could have also made the shot look as if it was at night time, which is when most scenes in horror films are shot. If we had more time we also could have thought about the positioning of the hand, altering it in various ways to make it look as if it was grabbing the book or be in a more awkward position to make the audince feel uncomfortable.