Opening Sequences - extra notes

You need to watch and make notes on as many different openings as possible BUT these need to be done in detail (tricky but over, rather than under do, it). You need to grasp the conventions and functions of openings AND you must be able to distinguish between opening sequences and trailers (as often student film openings can seem like trailers). 

You need to see a whole range but have a clear understanding of what YOU can actually achieve (as well as what is required/expected). Juno type sequences can only be achieved by the most arty/ICT & Film literate/dedicated with any degree of success.

Although some sequences don’t have credits, or take a while before the credits start, you’re only doing a few minutes and interspersed credits are what is expected. This is artificial but there it is. The credits need to feel integral and not added on after – examiners are looking for this.

YOU need to aim for:

1.    coherence

2.    introduction of narrative elements and genre

3.    clarity of sequence

4.    interspersed credits

5.    great, atmospheric music you have created to match visuals

6.    intercutting (probably between titles and narrative or titles and two narratives)

7.    a sensible pace (not too slow (zzzzzz…) or too fast (trailer))

8.    no student clichés (boys with guns, being gangsters, girls running in woods screaming)

9.    strong control of MES

10. Well filmed, edited and competent diegetic sound

You will need to analyse a range of openings themselves on their blogs – either ours or ones from Youtube. You only need to do 3-5 ON YOUR BLOGS but you still need to cover a range of styles and your blogged work must allow for you to blog the key conventions of openings in your own words through examples. (i.e. through ‘research’). (see post on MAIN IDEAS for Opening Sequences).

You will then need to show how what you have learned has been worked into your choices/planning/treatment for your project.

Don’t forget to watch STUDENT EXAMPLES – good and bad.

List of openings you could use for research:

Personal favourites (very good examples): Jaws, Children of Men, Apocalypse Now, Cleaner, Juno, Legally Blonde, Zombieland, The Phantom of the Opera, Se7en, Strange Days (Caution bad language), The Mummy, The Prestige, Watchmen