Dexter Evaluation

1. Summarise the conventions of title sequences that were most important to this task.
Title sequences are both an introduction to the film's actors and directors, but it is also a legal obligation;contracts include terms which set out and specify sometimes when and for how long their name is on the title sequence, and so it must be done within strict confinements. They can often 'set the scene' for the movie, establishing the genre of the movie and giving the audience a feel of the movie's contents. It can draw attention to certain aspects of the film or a character. The actual titles can also, with modern technology, interact with the characters and environment in the background.
2. How did your group plan to edit the title sequence?
We watched through the sequence once more, and then began to see points where we saw opportunities for titles, for instance where there is plenty of empty/clear space. We then went alone putting the names in where appropriate, and trying to find a font and colour to suit the series.  
3. Explain the creative decisions made by your group.
We also looked for clever ways for the names to appear and disappear, for example, we had a name placed and disappearing when his hand slapped a mosquito. Another example is when a hand is slowly drifted away, and we were able to place it and put effects on it so it faded and driften away in a similar manner. We wanted the colour to be white, not read, as even though red would be suiting to the genre, but white looked better on every shot. 
4. How does your re-edit compare to the original?
Our re-edit was obviously not finished and so they had many more titles than us, however even with where we got up to, we hadn't packed in our tightly as tightly as them. The original also wasn't as creative/imaginative as we were in our appearance and disappearance, and were fairly standard, which was to our disappointment. 

Art of the Title Grid

1. Three best friends compete for the attention of the schools new heartthrob. The friends catch sight of the new guy as he comes in, leading to their inevitable fights and schemes.
2. The setting, characters and their relationships are established through a master shot. The title and actors are also shown through the text, and the genre is established through the high school setting and characters, with the comical features and bright colours. The 'college campus' style of font also adds to this.
3. Firstly, the actual title 'The Competition' depicts to the audience that there is going to be a competition going on, between the girls, subsequently for the guy. Secondly, the font is a 'college style' which goes well with the fact it is a high school/teen movie genre, and the fact it is stamped on is fitting to the genre too.
4. Intrigue in the audience as he is slowly revealed, making the audience curious and also showing this characters significance. As it is a Rom-Com, the audience should laugh at the exaggerated reactions of girls to the 'new guy'. As the audience know, from the pictures of them all seeming to like him, them fighting, and the name of the film,that there is some sort of 'competition' going on, they should be wondering who will win, (perhaps even routing for someone in particular,) and will their friendship survive? And of course they will know from the comical exaggerations from the images that this 'competition' will be a hilarious ride.
5.The Master shot establishes the setting, an American High School, the characters and their relationships, three best friends. The close-up, slow reveal of our male character, causes tension and curiosity, also highlighting the importance of this character. The close-ups of each individual character shows detail and personality of their individual characters, in addition adding a comical effect suiting the genre, as their faces are comically exaggerated. The costumes and props clearly establish the characters and their personalities and the bright colouring establishes the genre.
6. I think it is effective as it has continuity; everything is clearly established to the audience, i.e setting, genre, characters, story-line. I think the audience will easily recognize everything and so will get into the film. I think the colour scheme is very fit to the genre. The camera movement is not too extreme, and flows so that the audience can easily follow.

Opening Scene Analysis of Continuity

127 HOURS 

127 hours starts off with a very interesting, artist concept of splitting the screen into three separate screens. It seems to have the use of shot order in the separate screens, i.e the screens will all show a vast crowd walking, then in another screen it will have a mid-shot and in the other a close-up. This very interesting to watch as an audience member, and in my opinion, adds to the continuity by giving you so many different angles to look at. This does however make you feel less immersed in the story, and more like a spectator.
To contrast, there are a wide range of camera movements used, for instance tracking, whip panning and tilting, and these are all always following the action, which I think really makes the audience involved. Even though you are not seeing it from the main characters (which is established in the following of his routine) point of view, and you are watching this in an abstract way, it almost is better for getting you into the pace, energy and action of the movie.
The main character is established after clips of many other crowds of people, which is done in a very contrasting way, perhaps showing him as a person who 'stands out from thee crowd' and highlighting his importance.
The different and perhaps abstract angles at which the director, or tor has chosen, for example, inside the fridge and cupboard is quite interesting and unusual. There is a point where the camera is places inside a shelf, where his phone is, and all we see is his hand, clearly it is very high up, searching for, we presume, his phone, and he gets very close but doesn't find it and gives up, and for an audience member that is quite aggravating that we can see the phone within his reach, simply he can't. In addition, with this story being very well-known, we are also annoyed because we know that one of the reasons he suffers the way he does, is because he doesn't have his phone, so seeing him so close is quite provocative.
It does tend to jump to different scenes/scenery/sets. At this pace however, I do not think it affects the continuity too prominently in my opinion. An establishment of location is not immediate, and leaves the audience curious, until finally a sign is filmed by the main character, and the main character tells us where he is.
The shots themselves didn't flow together too smoothly at first, again taking away from continuity with a sense of spectator-ship as an audience member. Although, as we see the scenes go on, the shots flow smoothly together.

Seven Pounds Opening Analysis with Video

SEVEN POUNDS OPENING SCENE ANALYSIS

I thought that Seven Pounds' opening scene was brilliantly emotionally stimulating, and in my opinion, one of the best movie openings ever to be made.

Firstly, you see a distraugh Will Smith, looking rather distressed, calling the police to report a suicide, which he then reveals to be his own. From this moment on the audience are immediately hooked. The fact the director chose to put this at the beginning leads to a very complex emotional experience of the movie all throughout, as we are aware of him being ready to commit suicide at some point. This scene sets the genre to be a definite drama, but we are still very unsure of things. The character is established, whilst his setting is also established through speech, and so we are aware he is in some sort of motel, and not his actual home. This leads to intrigue, with the audience questioning why he is not in his home, has he been kicked out? Has he been planning something? There is also a scene later on where he checks into this motel, and instantly, as an audience we feel tense,, as we know he plans to commit suicide there. There is also a lot of times where he is in conversation with the landlord of the motel, and he jokingly hints at his planned death there, which only we as an audience understand.

Another effect in placing this at the beginning is that all throughout the move, especially when his budding relationship with co-star Rosario Dawson, makes movie so hard to watch as you see their lives join together wonderfully, when you know what the end result will be. The audience I'm sure, like me, still wanted to keep hold of that hope that maybe he'll be stopped before that, and so the audience are constantly on the edge, throughout the whole film because of this opening.

Now some may disagree with this being brilliant, feeling that it is just a spoiler and looses all the suspense about 'what's going to happen'. However I do think that it in fact makes you feel even more tense, whilst you watch his life pan out, with this terrible knowledge in your head simultaneously, and creates an even more emotional experience for the audience, especially when things are going so well for him.

The next scene in this introduction is a dynamic view from underwater of Will Smith swimming in a vast, beautiful sea, whilst he talks in a very slow and emotional voice on top of this saying that "In seven days, God created the world. And in seven seconds, I shattered mine." The use of such a beautiful scenery on top of the sad message was very contrasting, and leaves the audience intrigued, because his life seems so beautiful, yet when he speaks it tells a very different story. In addition, we as an audience wonder how he 'shattered' his life in 'seven seconds, and want to keep viewing in the hope that we will find out. Again, another setting is established, through a close up of his legs and feet, which pans out into a very wide shot of what seems to be his house/beach house.

We then see Will Smith dressing smartly in a suit, looking at himself in the mirror, with a painfully emotional look and we get a mid shot from behind of him sitting on a sofa very tensely, and as an audience we are very concerned, as we want to know what he has done to his life that is causing him this much pain.

We then see him look at a list of names, with most having been scribbled on with a pen, and the focus is on one circuled name of 'Ezre Turner'. We then see him calling up this person at his work. As the scene briefly goes on we learn the characters name, Ben Thomas, and we also see Will Smith verbally abuse this man, abusing him for his relgion and blindness, and saying cruel and horrifying things to this poor man. Will Smith constantly pushes Ezre, trying to get him to fight back, but Ezre remains calm throughout, though awfully hurt. Now, as an audience we feel disgusted at what we have just seen, and now on top of this fundamental pity and concern for Will Smith, we now feel hate, and wonder why on earth he is acting in such a foul way. Once Ezre has hung up, we see 'Ben Thomas' almost react in the same way that we do, but with himself, and this leaves us completely compelled to know this man's story, situation and why he is doing what he doing.

It is a very emotionally compelling and intriguing opening, which also leaves the audience very confused and unsure of how to feel about what they have seen, whilst still compelled to watch more.