R-edit of Dexter opening sequence

1)  Summarise the conventions of title sequences that were most important to this task.
Within  a title sequence, the title's themselves are very important. They don't just provide the necessary information of the producer, director, and the actors within the film, but its a chance for this to occur while introducing the film. They can be used to compliment the sequence that occurs, by drawing attention to something in particular or emphasising a movement.  They should not take away from what is happening, but simply be an addition to the environment.
The titles themselves should probe into the genre, the font complimenting what kind of film it is. The sizing of the them should be appropriate so the names displayed can be clearly read, but also making sure they aren't too big which would take away from the sequence itself by intercepting certain events by covering up certain things that are happening. Therefore, the title sequence is an opportunity for the genre, characters and themes/ideas should be introduced. It should draw the audience's attention in a way which makes them curious into watching the rest of the film.


2)  How did your group plan to edit the title sequence? (consider timings, industry requirements etc.)
Our group planned to edit the title sequence by considering the space on the screen. For example, we only planned to add titles where there were space for them, as we did not want to cover up anything important that was happening. This also mean that the titles were clear, as it is very important the director, producers and actors names listed in the title sequence can be clearly seen and read.


3)  Explain the creative decisions made by your group.
The creative decision involved in our group mainly involve the composition and movement/ effects of the title. Deciding the appropriate entrance and exit for each title was added, was important in order for co-operation between itself and the opening sequence itself. While on the page we would use effects such as 'frigid' to give a jolt/ flicker effect, which probed into the slightly sinister and haunting connotations that the main sequence itself reflected. We used the colour red as some of the titles colour to symbolise the blood that was displayed in the opening sequence. Considering the exit of the titles, in some cases we would fade out the titles in a way that looked like an object coming into shot was pushing them out. We also used the mosquito swat shot at the beginning of the sequence as an opportunity to place a title, and therefore seem as Dexter as swat away the title as it disappears as he goes to swat the mosquito.  The font also had to be creatively thought about, as it was necessary for it to fit the theme of the opening sequence. We chose a dedicate thin, italic font to contrast with the symbolic violent and fearless mans actions.


4)  How does your re-edit compare to the original?
When we watched the original after completing our own re-edit, the original seem quite simple. As we had been mostly concerned on the creativity of the titles, the original edit seemed more concerned about making sure all the titles could be very clearly seen. This even involved them placing their titles in front on things that were happening in the opening sequence, being fearless to cover anything up that was happening behind them. We, on the other hand, did the exact opposite.
The original version used one colour( red )for the font throughout, whereas we decided to alternate the colour depending on  the different shots each of our titles was within.
The original version had a lot more titles in a smaller space of time. Although we had only enough time to edit approximately 5 titles, even if we had had more time to edit, I don't feel we would have included as many titles as they had. This is because I feel the original edit was a lot less fearless of timing. Rather than them evaluating and being creative with where each title would look good, they seemed to care more about fitting them all in at any opportunity possible.

Art of The Title Grid Activity

We decided our film would be a horror them, and the story involved a  psychotic man whom had a plan to kill certain people in order to cross them off his 'list'.  Our film opening offers an insight to how he goes about this. We seem him drag his victim in and place them on a suitable work bench. He puts on more appropriate clothing for the task he is going to go through with and collects the appropriate equipment to complete his deathly task of the victim so he can cross their name off the list.

The information that has been included in our opening sequence includes the genre and kind of horror the audience will be getting themselves into. The night vision effect symbolises that the film is not so much about happiness and colour, but more about darkness and death. The title also gives the audience an idea of what the film is about. We get an idea of character from establishing who exactly the main character is and what kind of psychotic mind he possess.

The font we used was Assassin's. It's white colour against the night vision effect creates an eerie atmosphere, and its thin thickness combined with this colour of purity represents the slim chance of purity found in the film. The main title 'The list' links to a our main film idea, as its the heart of the story, as without the list this man would have no-one to kill.

The expected audience reaction should be an on edge feeling of being freaked out and wanting to know more. The audience should be wanting to know why this man has this list, and why it is these victims on the list as well as being horrified of the act he is carrying out. Due to the clarity of what is going on in the opening sequence, the audience should know that the continuing film is one that involves death.

The three main things I feel are important in the construction of our opening sequence include, each individual shot chosen and their style, the order of the shots, and the night vision effect used. The choice of each individual shot was important because it was the deal breaker between giving too much away and giving too little away. Each shot had to be carefully chosen to try and portray as much as we wanted to occur in the opening sequence as we could. This involves the angle and type of shot which were important in order to make the opening sequence clear, and for what we wanted each shot to display to be clearly portrayed. Shots like shot three are very important to the opening sequence because it displays the contrast of the lifeless victim and the man, in order to establish character. The last three shots are also very important because they display exactly what the man is doing with the victim, the last one probing into why exactly the film is called the list.
The chronological order of the sequence is also important because it builds narrative flow. This allows the kind of character we are dealing with to be slowly revealed, creating suspense as we unfold what he does with the victim in order to cross their name off.
The effect used really heightens the genre, and creates an atmosphere that colour would drown. It makes each composition in each of the shots a lot more cynical, which fits our theme.  


I think our project as an opening sequence is effective because it gives a real insight to what the film is about, without giving too much away. A real atmosphere that is very appropriate for our film has been created, as well as each individual shot carrying a meaning of its own.

127 Hours openeing scene

The Film I am focusing on is 127 hours which is a survival drama film. The story takes place in Utah’s canyon lands National Park in the US. It is a modern film under the influence of a true story. It is based in 2003; from April 25^th- May 1^st.

The beginning sequence firstly consists of a split screen of three parts. The first minute is taken up by various crowd events playing within each of the split screen parts, building up to form a screen filled with three different  clips of crowd events. As a clip ends the next one begins on the section next to it, creating a fast paced sequence of moving images. The first clips are crowd celebrations, but the third clip enters bringing in a religious theme of large structured lines of people praying.  Then follows  clips of: a congratulating crowd scene, a swimming competition, a crowded beach, a large crowd doing a Mexican wave and  a man being thrown up within a crowd, until one clip of a crowd running  to the left is played on all three sections. Each section is then filled with a busy crowded place with people all travelling in the same direction. The clips continue to change until a lamp with a man walking in front of it appears in the middle section. Both the left and right sections are filled with two different but symmetrical clips of people travelling up an escalator. The right section is first discarded to reveal more of the scene with the man and the lamp, then the left does the same, giving us a full screen of a man walking through his house. The man is packing a bag, taking various equipment, water and food within his bag. As he is doing so his answer message is playing. The message is from the man’s sister who says, even though she knows he’s going to be away this weekend they need  to decide what they’re going to play and when they're going to practice. She also asks him to ring their mum ‘as she worries’. As he grabs his keys and leaves the door, the split screen reappears filling the screen with three sections of the man’s tap dripping in which he used to fill his water.(symbolising the foreboding of the water he will lack when he Is trapped, and how he wastes it now)  Each section is then filled with a clip of moving cars on a motorway of some kind, and the main character’s face is shown driving switched between many of the screens, followed by places and food restaurants he passes. The sections each show parts of the now empty motorways with only his car driving. The only other people to be seen are a group of cyclists travelling in the opposite direction in which he is driving. The split screen finishes as the focuses is brought onto the man’s car driving. He then begins filming himself driving, stating the date and expressing his happiness and excitement for his adventure he is taking. Various images of Egyptian inscriptions are then played, until It shows him pulling up to an apparent campsite.
 I feel that the order of the events are significant to the story. I feel that by introducing the film with hundreds of thousands of people creates a false impression of the film. This means the lonely journey that we find out the film is about is a surprise to the audience, meaning it is more effective.

I see the opening sequence in three sections. The first being the various crowd clips being played, the second being the character packing his bags, and the third is his journey down to the campsite. The first part is very unconnected to the two other parts. In some sense they are very contrasting. While the first involves thousands of people, the second and third involve the preparation and journey of one man. The second and third parts to the opening sequence are linked to one another, allowing you to follow through with what this man is doing. The packing of his bags allows you to understand what kind of journey he is going on, and the journey to the campsite links to why he packed his bags.

The main character is introduced at the beginning, being the first individual person to be introduced to the film. Unlike the thousands of people included in the beginning, the introduction of the main character is on a more personal level. We are in his house, listening to his answer phone messages, and seeing all his possessions that he has around the house.  We find out his name is Aron due to his answer machine. We also are introduced to his sister on the answering machine who also introduces us to their mother as being ‘very worried’.  We know that this man Is the main character as the opening sequence comes down to only him, and we know the woman on the answering phone is his sister due to her comfortable tone and her reference to him as ‘A’ symbolising how she knows him very well, and her reference to ‘mum’ as their mother.

Due to the beginning crowds scenes played for the first minute of the opening sequence, this leaves the audience with not much content and detail to the opening sequence. The story evidence that is revealed is that our main character is going on a journey in which he has travelled into an isolated part of town to begin, which we discover from the contrasting busy motorway images first displayed which then become images of empty roads with only his car travelling on.  Any information about how long he is going for, where he is going is withheld in order to build suspense and allow us to follow him through with his journey, instead of waiting for information we already know, and we have already been given, to take place.

I feel that there is nothing in particular the audience needs to know at the start of the film. This is because the film involves a twist in which the whole film ends up being about. If any hint to this part of the film is revealed, then the audience know what the whole film is about, as this is the only thing the film involves. I think for this reason in order to really feel the surprise from the film and to go through the emotional journey of Aron that can be granted, the audience should watch the film knowing nothing about what is going to happen.