Evaluation of AOTT Activity

1. The name of our film is 'MINE' and it is a crime thriller. In the film opening, a young woman is walking to work whilst being watched by a kidnapper. The kidnapper appears from his hiding place and kidnaps her by putting his hands around her mouth and shoving her into the boot of his car. The film would then progress onto the hunt for the kidnapper and the detective leading the investigation is the husband of the woman who was captured.

2. Some information that is revealed in the film opening is two of the main characters in the film. The kidnapper in particular looks like he will be an important character and this is highlighted in the last picture which has his mask. There is the idea that the kidnapper hides behind the mask to conceal his identity. There is a hint of the genre due to the events taking place in the opening. A kidnapping is automatically associated with the thriller genre. Finally, the titles give information about  who is involved in the film: the two actors' and the director's name can be seen.

3. The last title excluding the name that can be seen is the name of the actress who plays the kidnapper. This highlights that the kidnapper will be the central character that the film is based around, as it is essentially about the kidnapper and how he manages to keep his location and the location of the victim secret. Secondly, the title 'MINE' suggests that the woman belongs to him and so that is why he kidnaps her. She becomes his property. The title of the film implies the narrative of the kidnapper's desire for the woman.

4. The audience should be in suspense and anticipation for what will happen next. As so much has happened in such a short time, it may be shocking and exciting to them. Also, the fact that it is in broad daylight may frighten them as it shows that it could happen to anyone, at any time. By the end of the opening scene, you would expect  the audience to be thinking negatively of the fate of the woman and that it can only get worse for her, now that she has been kidnapped. I believe the opening is very clear in depicting the basic narrative, especially with the stills of the woman in the boot of the car and the one where she has been prevented from screaming. Even though they do not know specific details, they can follow what has happened in the opening sequence.

5. One thing we included in the grid which is important for constructing an opening is titles. We had the name of the director and the actresses who play the two characters that can be seen in the grid. The titles are essential not only as a matter of interest for the audience but also for required legal reasons. In an opening sequence, at least one main character should be introduced and we have successfully done this. Two of the main characters feature in the opening and this helps to set the scene for the film.

6. Overall, I believe our film opening is effective. Firstly, it establishes a narrative, and there is nothing particularly obscure about what is happening. A woman is walking to a destination and gets kidnapped. Secondly, a setting is created, as the surrounding landscape appears to be buildings which could indicate a school or and office. Another positive aspect of this opening is that it evokes various emotions for the audience. There is a sense of drama and tension which excites the audience but also fear which may make the audience want to close their eyes. Finally, I think it is a good thing that the opening sequence does not reveal the rest of the story, such as the kidnapper's identity; that it will unfold as the film goes on. This creates suspense as it is effectively an early cliff hanger. Something that perhaps could have made it more effective could be the colour of the stills: it could have been edited to give a darker look and feel to the film, to make it seem more scary.

Accident Sequence

1. We used various techniques to aid the narrative flow of the sequence. One example of how we did this was to shoot in steps, of a particular order, and the six different shots taken creates a fundamental sense of narrative. Secondly, the different camera angles used gives the audience points of view and results in them being at the centre of the action. The first shot is a good example of an establishing shot and it successfully sets the scene for the story. Another technique we used was the 'match on action which can be seen in shots 2 to 3.' The ball was being held at the same angle, with two different camera angles. This has made the action seem completely realistic. Another technique we tried to abide by was the 30 degree rule between shots so that there were no jump cuts.

2. In hindsight, some things could have been done differently to help the continuity of the sequence. The first change I would make would be to make it more of a master shot at the beginning, by including a full length picture of the actress' body. The next change would be to eliminate the second zoom at approximately 8 seconds in the video. This is so the continuity error can be fixed which shows the lift being closer than in the next shot. Another improvement to be made is to eliminate the hesitations of the actress, who is clearly waiting to be directed. The two examples of this are right at the beginning and when she stands too long before the ball drops on her head. She should be walking before the record button is pressed so it looks more natural. There is a timing error where the ball can be heard dropping in the shot before it falls on her head and to prevent this from happening again, the recording should be cut quicker, Another continuity error is when the ball can be see bouncing in the last shot but not in the 5th one. The ball should be in view in this shot. Finally, the angle of the tilt is too vertical on the 5th shot and this could disrupt the point of view of the audience.

Film Opening Analysis

'An Education' Title Sequence

I have chosen to analyse the opening sequence of 'An Education' (Lone Scherfig, 2009). Overall, the title sequence hints at a particular genre, however, at first, a different genre comes to mind. When we see characters for the first time, a girl can be seen with a serious expression on her face, which is almost humorous as the audience know how hard she is trying to balance the book. The fact that she is the only one in the line that has to re-position the book reinforces this idea of a humorous genre. Nevertheless, the predominant genre soon becomes clear by acknowledging what is going on in the scenes. The balancing of the books, the dancing and the cooking all indicate that this film is going to be about maturing; the transformation from a teenager into an adult. This could be a genre within itself: a coming of age drama. 

The story appears to mainly take place at a school as the sequence shows various features including a classroom, a playground and a hall, all of which you would expect to find at a school. We can expand on this as we only see girls in uniform which implies it is an all girls school. The time scale is not made very clear but the diversity in weather patterns suggests that it has definitely not taken place in one day. The story from the title sequence is likely to be happening in a week, perhaps in winter or autumn, as there is snow and rain. 

The sequence begins with animations based on theories and instructions, before moving onto girls carrying books on their heads. This is followed by dancing lessons,cooking and a girl walking down the road supposedly trying to remember Latin. These each confirm this idea of having an education. The events link with the initial animations as there are denotations of learning new information and skills. Apart from the last scene, the order of events is random, which may be intentional, to set the scene for the film. The main purpose of using these scenes is to highlight that they are learning to be young women but they are not matured yet and the shots of them giggling and writing on the windows reflect this.  The last scene, on the other hand, is significant, as it is when dialogue begins for the first time and it stays in one place:-a classroom.

The first person who looks like a main character is the girl who has to re-position the book on her head. I think this because she had the first action and also because later in the title she is seen to be day dreaming. Another main character is likely to be the girl walking down the road by herself. It implies we will see her again and we do, right at the end of the title sequence. Hers is the last face we see before the picture fades which tells the audience, there is more to come from her, and gives them the impression that the film is going to be her story. 

The title sequence does not reveal a lot of story information. It establishes the setting (a girl's school) and suggests that  it is likely to be about girls maturing. Apart from this, we are yet to find out what else will happen in the film, as the scenes have given limited connotations. One thing suggested if you look closely enough is that there may be a love story due to the animations of hearts throughout the title. I think the possibility of having any characters other than girls i.e. boys , is deliberately withheld as the audience is not supposed to know of the experiences the girls are going to have. 

There are three main things the audience need to know at the start of the film. Firstly, that girls are likely to be the main protagonists as it is set in a girls school. Secondly, they need to remember that as they are at school, they are not yet adults and the uniform is perhaps a reminder. Thirdly, they need to be aware that the girls are preparing to be young women and so the audience can expect to see aspects of growing up in the film. 

My Film Still Analysis

12 Years A Slave (2013/Steve McQueen)

Narrative
The actors portraying the slaves are wearing ragged, dirty clothes which connotes poverty and helplessness. It suggests that something awful has happened, or is happening at that moment. The solemn looks on their faces further highlight this narrative; they look tired and in despair, which implies they are suffering .The framing here is important as it shows a large ship in the background, close to where the slaves are sitting. The clarity of the object may be intentionally reminding us of the long journey that the slaves have endured, or are about to endure. This image is a long shot of the slaves and it highlights the relationship that they have. They are squashed together, perhaps for comfort, but it is ambiguous and could also mean that they are outsiders and so have to be grouped together. The man on the right is a fair distance away from them and wears distinctly different clothing. The distance symbolizes a metaphorical divide and the clothes signify a social divide.

Genre
The facial expressions carry a sorrowful, lonely feel, which in turn could be familiarized with the genre of tragedy. However, in these same expressions, there is a foreboding sense that untold stories within these characters, from the past and the future, are waiting to be told. Therefore, the film seems more likely to be a drama, as it looks as if it will be telling stories of someone's life, and the various experiences they have had, including the one we can see from the still. Another hint from the still for the film being of this genre is the subtle conflict shown between the white man and the black slaves. The racial prejudice theme fits into the genre perfectly. As it is likely to be of this genre, the audience may well expect to see upsetting scenes as some people would have knowledge outside of the film about the harsh realities of slavery.

Audience
The slaves would instantly catch the attention of the audience. Whether it be due to their seemingly uncomfortable positions or their looks of utter despair, it is likely to produce an emotional and sympathetic response from the audience. The fact that there is a young girl on the end may surprise the audience as the surroundings do not seem appropriate for a child. This could cause them to question why there is this one child; she seems out of place. Finally, at this stage, it is likely that the slaves are about to venture onto a different kind of life which may excite the audience, as they want to know what happens next. The man coming towards them suggests this; he is the symbol of their new life, which is likely to unfold as the film goes on.

My Film Still

(Nosferatu shadow recreation)

1. The shot clearly depicts a dark and mysterious looking figure which signifies both the genre and theme. The shadow resembles darkness and evil which further enhances the idea that the shot is from a horror or thriller film.
2. The ghostly shadow effect was created by directing the light in front of the actress. The frightening profile was achieved by positioning the actress' body in a certain way; the unnatural arrangement of her hands resembles claws and they are extremely noticeable as a result. The medium close up has added to the dark theme as we can see a little but not enough to know completely what the character looks like, creating tension.
3. The dominant reading of the shot is that the character is evil and his/her/its intentions are bad and that they are up to no good. The character is likely to commit some sort of crime, or cause trouble but as the audience do not know what is coming, there is a sense of foreboding and anticipation. The image hints at a horror based narrative.
4. The main reason why the shot is successful is because it is simple and blunt and therefore there is no need for confusion when interpreting it.The framing of the shot is successful for a collection of reasons. The only object in the frame (excluding the wall) is the shadow which means this will be the ultimate focus of the audience. Instead of having a mid shot, the character is positioned to the right, which implies they are in the process of an action. For example, walking to murder their target. Thirdly, as it is a close up, it seems particularly chilling as the audience gets a sharper and more detailed view of the character. The artificial lighting enabled the shadow to look as scary as it does and suggests it is a summer night. Finally, the body language is good as it heightens the ominous atmosphere.
5. In hindsight, a darker room as a set may have produced an even better shadow as the blue coloured wall in the background makes the setting softer and less scary due to it not being very dark. The lighting effect was good to an extent, however, it could have been more subtle to avoid it showing so brightly on the wall. Finally, I could have had stairs in the background or a door so that it is more obvious to the audience that the character is going to do something.