Dexter Title Sequence Re-Edit

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

   Film openings need to inform the audience of who is behind the film, and there are certain titles that must be in the sequence, such as who directed the film. 
   The titles themselves should add to the sequence, not ruin it. Titles can draw attention to certain areas of the frame, or be embedded in the environment itself. Titles can also be interacted with, such as an actor running through it and breaking it, like in Zombieland for example. Creative choices can either hinder or improve the sequence: the titles should fit the genre with the choice of font and colour.
   In the sequence itself, characters, themes and/or ideas should be introduced, as well as a clear sense of genre, so as to give the audience an idea of what the show is like, and what they can expect. The opening sequence should capture the audience's attention, such as showing a morning routine, or a montage of the characters, or even hint at events that will happen.

2. How did your group plan to edit the title sequence? (consider timings, industry requirements etc). 
   Due to having very little time to complete the task, we quickly watched through the sequence, drawing out a rough storyboard of what shots we wanted to put titles on. We then decided on a font an colour scheme that fit the genre of the sequence, then got straight into editing. We knew that we had to include certain titles due to industry requirements, but due to timings we didn't manage to get that many in.

3. Explain the creative decisions made by your group. 
   We decided to put the titles in places that were noticeable, but did not distract too much from the action of the shot. At first we wanted the titles to be integrated into the environment, but due to timing we weren't able to do this as well as we had hoped. The titles themselves were red, with smaller titles in white, to make sure they stood out from the background and fit with the thriller genre. We chose a font that was legible, yet still fit with the genre by being quite bold. We decided on that font as the titles need to be easy to read for the audience.

4. How does your re-edit compare to the original?
   The original edit is better than ours, as it has all the necessary titles, and was not as overly-ambitious as ours. As we wanted to do more complicated ideas, we spent too long trying to complete them rather than get the right amount of titles in. However, I think our ideas would have been good if we were able to complete them, and whilst they may not have been as good as the original, it would have made our edit better.
   If I could improve our edit, I would firstly complete adding titles so it meets industry requirements. I would also spend more time making the titles fit into the background, such as bending around the edge of the pan for example. I would also make the titles more interesting, such as having the actor interact with the titles; they could be uncovered when he lifts his face in front of the mirror, or being cut through the middle with the blood orange. With the time limit we had, this wasn't possible, but I think our edit was fairly good with the time that we did have.

Art Of The Title Grid

1) Summarise your film idea. Provide a brief synopsis and outline what happens in your film opening.

Three best friends compete for the attention of the school's new heartthrob.

In the opening, the three friends see the heartthrob for the first time, which leads to them fighting over him.

2) What kind of information has been included in your film opening?

In our opening, we have included the setting (a school), the main characters (the friends and the heartthrob), the character relationships, the genre (teen rom-com), the actors and the film title (The Competition).

3) How do the titles link to the main film idea?

The font itself is quite 'high school' style, conforming to the genre of a teen rom-com, as well as the fact that the titles would be stamped onto the shot.

4) Summarise the expected audience reaction. What should the audience be thinking by the end of your opening? Is your opening clear or ambiguous?

The audience should be curious about the heartthrob, which is brought on by the fact that he is slowly revealed throughout the opening. The audience should also laugh at the reactions of the girls, such as the fainting or the fighting.

At the end of the opening, the audience should be wondering who will win the 'competition', who the heartthrob will choose, and whether the girls' friendship will survive.

Overall I think the opening is quite clear as the characters and setting are established, as well as the genre, through the exaggerated stereotypes and reactions.

5) Identify three things that you included in your grid that are important in the construction of an opening sequence and explain their role in understanding the film.
Master shot - this establishes the setting and characters of the film
Slow reveal - this creates build-up and tension, as the audience are curious about who the character is. This also highlights the fact that this character is important to the film.
Close Ups of the girls - this also establishes who the main characters are of the film, and also shows them in more detail than the master shot, so the audience gets more of an idea about their characteristics.

How effective is your project as a film opening? Explain your answer.
Overall I think the opening is quite effective, as it gives the audience what they would expect from a teen rom-com, such as over-exaggerated expressions and the vibrancy and lighting, as it is bright and colourful, much like other teen films. The opening also gives the audience the information they need, such as the characters, the setting and the character relationships. For example, the costumes give the audience some idea of what the characters are like, as they are stereotypical of different groups of teenagers, such as the 'nerd' costume, with the glasses and 'bad' hair.
In hindsight, I would change a few things to improve the opening. Firstly, I would change the hair colour of the 'barbie' character to blonde, to reinforce the stereotype and make it more blatant as to who the character is. I would also have the corridor more full, to make the setting more realistic.

Film Opening Analysis

Warm Bodies | PG-13 | Rom-Zom-Com

• The film is set in a post-apocalyptic America, that has been destroyed by decades of wars and natural disasters, resulting in a mysterious zombie plague, and is set over a few weeks following the narrator, a zombie named R.
• Firstly, the audience is introduced to R, the zombie narrator, and are then shown the airport in which he lives. R then goes on to guess what jobs other zombies had 'before' the breakout of the zombie plague, before pondering on what the cause was. After showing what the airport used to be like, R introduces the audience to the Bonies, the stage after being a zombie. Lastly, we are shown R's best friend, and they decide find food (humans) in the city.
• The order of events is significant to the story telling as it not only introduces the audience to the protagonist, setting and back story to the zombie plague, but also gives an idea as to what kind of character R is; wry, quick-witted and introspective.
• The events are linked in the sense that R is almost explaining what happened, along with what his surroundings are, but they are still unconnected, such as the fact that zombies turn into Bonies isn't linked to R going to find food with his best friend at the end of the clip.
• The first character to be introduced is R, and he is the narrator and protagonist in the film. We know that he is the protagonist as he is present throughout the opening, and not only gives his insight into the situation he is in, but also explains to the audience what happened and who other significant characters are, such as the Bonies. These are one step on from zombies; R explains "they'll eat anything with a heartbeat", and informs that audience that all zombies become them eventually. They are the 'enemy' in the film, and this is implied by the fact that they are shown in a very dark area, and R says that turning into one is what he has to look forward to, and "it's kind of a bummer." The fact that R doesn't speak highly of them at all insinuates that the Bonies are not characters that the audience should like. Lastly, we are introduced to R's 'best friend', which goes to show R's insightfulness is not the norm, as he and his friend have very limited forms of communication.
• In terms of story information, the audience only finds out about very little, such as the fact that the cause of the plague is unknown, or that the zombies are living in the airport. The audience only finds out what R knows, and this is revealed through his comments and narration. For example, R explains what Bonies are as he passes them on his wanderings, before adding his own opinion that turning into one of them is a "bummer". The fact that there are still humans (who live in the city) is withheld until the end of the clip, as the opening is purely an introduction into R's way of life and why it is how it is.
• I think the audience needs to know more about where the humans are so as to show where they are in relation to the airport and zombies. This would help enhance the audience's knowledge on the setting.