OK: Opening sequence analysis

The Purge opening sequence analysis (DeMonaco, 2013)

Genre:

- The sub-genre that this film belongs to is 'home invasion' however, the concept of the film is expressed within the opening sequence as we see violence occurring in the streets
- The Purge does not share any of the same characteristics with any other films made, making it unique. The opening is a general outline for the audience to understand the concept of the film, later introducing a story-line involving a neighbourhood who attempts to break into another family's home
- The audience's generic expectations are challenged in the opening sequence, the opening sequence does not reflect what is about to happen later on in the film and so makes the audience feel as if the film is different to generic 'home invasion' films such as 'Panic Room'

Film Language: Camera

- Uses CCTV to connote chaos and to exaggerate the violence that is occurring in the streets
- CCTV camera at a high camera angle to show the full image of the violence
- Handy cam from a news reporter in the sky shows the chaos in the streets connotes that the streets are unsafe and should be avoided
- The CCTV camera effect makes the violence feel more gruesome and chaotic, making the audience believe the purge has stimulated chaos
- In the second clip, the action is continued out of the shot and so the CCTV camera is tilted forward so that the audience is able to follow the footage at a birds eye view
- Most of the shots are at the edge of the screen, as the director attempts to show that these images are not staged and that this is real footage caught on CCTV

Film Language: Editing

- Fast cutting rates are used to convey the meaning of chaos, we only see the CCTV footage for 4 seconds
- The fast cutting rates in between the woman and the other violent scenes presents the woman to be vulnerable and incapable of becoming safe
- Distortion is used throughout the clips to make the footage feel as if it was damaged throughout the chaos that emerged on the streets, seeing that the CCTV camera would've been in the street with them filming them

Film Language: Mise-en-scene

- Knives and handheld objects (props) are used to show the brutality of the streets in order to further show the chaos
- Character blocking of the female makes it look as if she has been attacked and is looking for shelter. Her slow movements prove to the audience that she is hurt
- Shop front windows being set alight increases the sense of chaos, making the audience feel uncomfortable as the see the actions of those who are exposed to the annual purge
- The clothes each character is wearing is very casual, making it feel as if the purge is a casual approach to committing crimes against the law

Film Language: Sound

- Contrapuntal sound makes the audience more afraid of the violence they view on screen as the music indicates a sense that the violence is of some good and this is what is needed to keep the peace

Titles:

- Titles included throughout the clips on the left and right hand sides of the screen so that the audience is able to focus on the action
- Same distorted effect is used on the titles on the outro making it feel more chaotic as the footage is shown
- Distorted effect connotes chaos; the audience feels that the action on the streets has caused the footage to be damaged
- 'Purge feed' and the location is used in the CCTV footage to make the shots more disgruntled and to inflict anarchy

Narrative:

- The plot outline is not shown in the opening sequence of this film as i believe the director attempts to show how the Purge can cause chaos
- Including the 'Purge feed' on screen creates an enigma code as the audience questions why the 'Purge' has inflicted such disorder on the streets
- The CCTV footage shown in the opening sequence creates an action code, as the audience questions the characters actions in the scene, what is their motive to do such harm to others? is the purge a good thing or is it just inhumane brutality?
- The shots are organised in the way in which it shows the characters to be 'thug-like' as they do not seem to have organised themselves regards to the action they carry out. This can be seen in the opening clip, as we are presented with a man on his phone whilst another person quickly shoots him and removes himself from the sequence
- Non-diegetic sound is used to create tension throughout the opening sequence as we are presented with chilling footage of people being shot, murdered and scenes of people fighting in the street. The music does not match with the mood of the footage and so therefore the audience may feel perplexed at what to make of this opening sequence

Representation and Ideology:

- Young men/teenagers are represented in this clip to be the antagonists, as they feel motivated to carry out the violence. This reinforces stereotypes towards teenagers who are believed to cause trouble
- Hooded characters are seen in the footage, reinforcing the stereotype of 'the hoody' and how this item of clothing connotes violence and terror
- The only female character in the clip is represented as being vulnerable as we see her on her own in the street covered in blood, after we are have seen the chaos that seems to be happening during the night of the purge. The gender stereotype towards women is reinforced in this clip, as we question why is this woman still out on the street? and how has she obtained these injuries?

Media audiences:

- The target audience for this film is for young men between the ages of 16 to 25, we can tell as the footage includes chilling violence that may not appeal to an older audience and also, the concept of the purge may make other audiences feel disturbed


Institutional context:

- 'The Purge' was produced by Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse productions
- It was distributed by Universal Productions
- Platinum Dunes have been involved with films such as 'The Amityville horror', 'Texas chainsaw massacre' and 'ouija'
- Blumhouse productions have been involved with films such as 'Paranormal activity', ' Insidious' and ' Sinister'
- The film was commercially successful, grossing $89,328,627 during its run, far surpassing its $3 million budget. It was the lowest budget film to hit the top of the box office charts in 25 years before its release
- Ethan Hawke stars in the film as the father of the family of four, also the head of the security company that has made all of the instalments for his neighbourhood for the annual purge

FP: Opening sequence analysis

Scream opening  sequence analysis (Craven, 1996)

Genre:

-This film is part of the ‘Slasher’ sub-genre, which is said to have had its peak in the 1970’s and 80’s.
 
-Immediately it becomes clear that ‘Scream’ is a typical slasher film due to the fact that it features  several of the defining slasher conventions. For example, straight away we are introduced to a ‘vulnerable’ female character, alone in an isolated location.

-An enigma code is created when the phone rings several times, and she speaks with an anonymous male (antagonist) character. This character seems harmless at first but throughout the opening sequence it gradually becomes apparent that he poses a threat and may possibly be psychologically impaired.

-The fact there are many conventions of thriller present at the beginning of this film means that the audience’s expectations are suitably fulfilled quite early on, and the film is very similar to what they were likely to have expected it to be.

Film Language:

-There is abundant usage of close up shots to effectively convey the female character’s facial expression and what she is feeling at different points during the sequence. However mid shots are also used very often to show her surroundings and emphasise the fact that she is alone (except for the antagonist, whose presence is suggested through dialogue and not visually expressed).
 
-The connotations of a young woman on her own in an isolated location are that she is significantly unable to defend herself against an attacker, and this puts her at a higher risk of being harmed. In terms of editing, long takes are often used. This helps to create a sort of ‘Calm before the storm/false sense of security’, feel to the scene, because it creates a slow pace which suggests safety and a lack of action, when in fact the danger is introduced quite suddenly.
 
-During the chase/hiding scenes, a faster cutting rate is used to increase the pace of the sequence and give it more energy and excitement.
 
-Throughout the entire sequence, one of the most noticeable features of mise-en-scene is that the lighting is used in such a way that many shadows are created in the background and at times they appear to be moving. This creates the sense that there is someone else (an antagonist) present in the scene, that is yet to be identified and that the protagonist is unaware of. This is an effective way of generating a lot of fear in the audience due to the theory of ‘fear of the unknown’.
 
-Also, one of the props used is a very large knife, also a convention of slasher films. However, in this case the use of a knife is contradictory because it is first wielded by the vulnerable protagonist, in self defence. Nevertheless, it introduces the fact that knives will be a prevalent feature and important part of the film.

-In the beginning of the sequence, the dialogue between the antagonist and protagonist is quite playful and harmless (again contributing to the false sense of security) so the audience are lead to feel safe, but the mood quickly changes when the male character mentions that he can see the girl, despite the fact that until now they have only spoken on the phone and we are under the impression that the male character is elsewhere.

-However this suggests that he is actually present in this scene and poses an immediate threat. Once the female character knows this, she begins to show signs of fear and panic such as shaky movements (especially in the hands) and running around nervously and at times without purpose.

- As for sound, there is generally very little background noise (to emphasise the fact that she is alone), except for the popping of the popcorn which helps to build tension and make the scene very stressful at its climax.

- Other loud sounds include the smashing of a glass door which is shocking and makes the viewer jump.

-There is some music used when the girl begins to panic, that is quite low and ominous, with a minor key. This has connotations of fear and imminent danger.

Narrative:

-During this opening, a young (approx 18 year old) female character, who is home alone at night, receives a phone call from an anonymous caller, who she quickly disregards as a ‘wrong number’ situation.

-However, this male character keeps calling, and expresses an interest in her. They discuss harmless and playful topics for several minutes before the conversation takes a turn for the worse and it becomes apparent that this male character has sinister intentions for the girl and is in fact present at her home.

-She threatens him with the imminent arrival of her boyfriend, only to discover that the antagonist has the boyfriend tied up and injured. The antagonist then proceeds to torture the girl with irrelevant questions, resulting in the death of her boyfriend. Then, following a short chase scene around the house, the girl is dragged away and killed.

- Her parents then return home to find that she is missing.   

-This theme of a lone (and often vulnerable) protagonist, being brutally killed by a psychotic male killer for no apparent reason, is fairly typical of slasher films. Also, this setting of suburban, middle class USA is very conventional of horror films because it is relatable for a large proportion of audiences and increases the fear factor.

- In this sequence, tension is created very effectively through the use of many techniques, including sound (e.g popcorn popping), and dialogue. An enigma code is created when it becomes apparent that the antagonist can see the young woman. The audience want to know how this is possible.

Representation and ideology:

-In this particular opening, one of the social groups that are represented is middle class, white youth people, particularly females. In this case, the stereotype that young women are vulnerable and unable to protect themselves is reinforced, because the young female protagonist is killed so early on in the film.

-Also, when the girl lies about having a boyfriend when speaking to the male character on the phone, is evident of the ideology that adultery is considered less of a 'big deal' nowadays than in the past.  

Media Audiences:

-It is very likely that the target audience for this film is middle class people aged 14-25. This is because it is set today (or was set during the time when the film was released) and aimed to frighten people that were very similar to the characters affected in the film.
 
-This was done by creating an environment that much of the audience would be familiar with, and then introducing a character or situation that destroys this ‘ideal’ environment.

-Because of my situation as a young male, in a relatively similar situation to several characters in the film, I find that I am able to put myself in the position of many of the film’s characters, quite easily, and understand why it is frightening.

Institutional context:

- Scream was produced by Woods Entertainment, and distributed by Dimension Films, the company behind several other horror franchises such as ‘Halloween’ and ‘Scary Movie’.

- At the time of the release of ‘Scream’, ‘Dimension films’ was owned by the Walt Disney Corporation, suggesting that this film had the potential to be an industrial film. However, having a budget of only $15 million, we can assume that is was somewhat independent.

- Despite the relatively small budget, the film featured several A-list actors, such as Courtney Cox and Drew Barrymore.

LH - Opening sequence analysis

Paranormal Activity 3 opening sequence analysis (Schulman, 2011)

Genre:

- From the opening sequence of this film I can see a combination of two sub-genres these are paranormal which is relatively self-explanatory and home invasion due to the setting of the film in the location of a home a place known for safety.

- What this opening sequence does is show us the family the film is set around without getting in too much detail or action from the outset.

- Due to this film being part of one of the biggest horror franchises (Paranormal activity) making it not particularly unique, also the paranormal genre is a particularly popular sub-genre.

- This opening scene maintains the audiences expectations, it shows a slow and calm build up. One can tell from the peaceful nature of the film opening that it is foreshadowing taking place, we can tell something bad is going to happen. this is a particularly generic opening to a horror movie as it builds up throughout.

Film language: Camera

- A handheld camera is used to put yourself in the scene as the audience, it also makes it much more personal between the characters, it creates verisimilitude.

- Towards the end of the opening scene, it comes to slight panic after it seems they have been robbed, the camera (handheld throughout) is shown to be moving much faster showing a sense of urgency in the scene.

- The POV usage from the handycam is used as a way to get you into the story yourself, which is clever in a horror movie as it can make it seem more scary.

Film Language: Editing

- The shots in this scene are of a relatively long length making it seem again more realistic, it shows a smooth fluidity between each cut.

- Due to the actor permanently being in control of the camera, there is one particular moment in the scene where the actor is getting the camera in a rush and the screen goes blank, this is used as a way to promote a sense of realism.

Film Language: Mise-en-scene

- Character blocking is used in this scene with the Wife position painting on the ladder painting which is a piece of domestic work, showing a continuation to the stereotype of a women doing the domestic work.

- It is also used to create a sense of urgency, the second part of the scene when they find their house has been what they think has been broken into (paranormal creature?), the characters are rushing around.

Film language: sound

- Very little usage of sound is shown in this scene, apart from dialogue, this is used to show the relationship between these two characters, shown to be very happy with high prospect for their future.

Titles:

- There is only one usage of titles in this scene, it shows the location of the characters house and the date of the film, this is particularly ambiguous as it gives so little away at this point in the film, it gives the audience information about the couple.

Narrative:

- From this opening scene very little is given away to the audience, we get a small introduction to the family in question, I think the director does this so we can warm to the couple to create a more personal level, making what to come in the film more tragic.
-  An enigma code can be noted from the second part of the scene, who did this to their house? it is left at the end of the scene on a particularly ambiguous note making the audience as questions like this.
- The scene has been organised in this particular order to show the audience the 'calm before the storm' through to a minor upset which is a use of foreshadowing.
- Tension is created with the use of camera in many ways in this scene, it is handycam throughout, yet when the scene becomes more urgent it can be told more due to the shakiness of the camera increasing.

Representation and ideology:

- A key factor that can be noticed from this opening scene is the fact that the lead women is pregnant, this gives to the audience a sense of innocence, like nothing bad can happen to her. Pregnant women are usually shown to be in safety, completely going against the Paranormal creation of havoc, showing binary opposition.
-In the second part of this scene we can notice the male takes a leading role in the drama, after they return to find the house not looking in a good state, he leads the wife showing the masculine role like he is protecting his wife and child. This conforms to the male stereotype of a strong man who protects his family.

Media audiences:

- From the opening scene little can be told for identifying the films target audience, yet due to the factor of it being a horror movie where the male protagonist is shown to be the lead with authority and conforming to the male stereotype you can come to the conclusion that this film would be targeting the male 16-25 range.

Institutional context:

- This film was produced by 'Blumhouse Productions' which primarily makes horror movies, some of the biggest were made here like Insidious in 2011.
-It was distributed by 'Paramount Pictures' which is known as one of the big 6 Hollywood film studios with films like Titanic from 1997 to their name.
-The two main characters are Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, they play a big part in this film being the couple facing the paranormal.

Group - Concept Development

Summary

In summary, we looked at a number of genres and the group decided to choose the three sub-genres of 'home-invasion', 'slasher' and 'paranormal'.  This will be useful to us in completing the next task for Mrs Fernandez on analysing an opening sequence of our own choice as the three of us are able to analyse a film in each of the three sub-genres. It is useful to us in using slasher and home-invasion as we can use similar props that are generically used in both sub-genres e.g. the scream series.



FP: Institutional context - The Cabin in the Woods (Goddard, 2012)

Production

- Directed by Drew Goddard

- Budget: $30 million

- Script was co-written by joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, who had both previously worked together on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel'

- CGI was used to create many different 'creatures' for the film, involving close to a thousand actors and extras.

- For several wide shots, the British Columbia institute of technology's Aerospace building was used.

- Key cast members include Chris Hemsworth 

Distribution

- The film was advertised on the side of London buses

- Commercials for the film gave as little as possible away about the plot. In fact, they attempted to     mislead potential audiences about the content of the film, so that when actually going to see the film, audiences would be surprised and intrigued.



LH: Task 6 - Institutional Context - Afflicted (Lee, 2013)

Production

- This film had the budget of £318,000 which was raised through a small grant as well as funding from the friends and family of the cast and director.

- It was filmed in Barcelona, Paris, Italy and Vancouver. 

- It was Lee's first ever feature length film, This meant it was difficult for them to produce to a good level.

- They got the inspiration from a bizarre web series, as well as world renowned horror movies such as The Blair Witch project and paranormal activity, which they praised a lot throughout the filming of Afflicted.

- The film contained no A-listers, promoting the idea of a independent film, but they did say that there choices of the cast were strong due to their flexibility, giving them more freedom to shoot and re-shoot scenes. -

The use of exotic locations created some difficulty due to the weather in countries like Italy combining with the demands of the role.

- The two directors Lee and Prowse both play a big part in the film with lead acting roles as well as directing.

 

Distribution

- This film had a small promotion, with traditional means such as a trailer which is particularly gripping showing the events not in chronological order, showing how the trip the pair go on going in the direction the film takes it. It gained a review stating that it was the best trailer released from Hollywood from a film critic known as Germain Lussier.

- It was distributed by CBS Films which is considered as a major-mini film studio.

- The films lifetime gross is $121,179, where it made $69,447 of this in the opening weekend, in the 44 cinemas it was shown in.

OK: Istitutional Context - Insidious (Wan, 2010)

Production

- Insidious used suggestion and old-fashioned discretion to unnerve viewers
- The film uses shadows. slow-burn chills and off-screen space in effect
- The same set is used in the Devils dimension to the set of the home but has just been given a creepy makeover,
- The musical score to Insidious was composed by Joseph Bishara, who also appears in the film as the demon
- Most of the music was improvised and structured in the editing process
- Insidious had its world premiere in the Midnight Madness program at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2010. Less than 12 hours after its screening, the film was picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions for theatrical distribution
- The most challenging aspect of the production was probably trying to get the film to look like a classic horror film on such a low budget
- Wan edited the film in a gritty MTV-style way, in order to hide its small budget
- After their first low-budget horror film, Wan formed a company to produce the kind of horror movies audiences were interested in. They wanted to collaborate with the best horror filmmakers out there and help them make the kind of movies they want outside the Hollywood system; a low budget but also full creative control
- The directors focused on good acting and a good script. The most effective beats, didn't really cost too much money
- Insidious is more about creating an eerie, atmospheric mood
- The opening credits feature spooky little Easter eggs for the audience

Distribution

-  The company's model is to produce movies independently and release them wide through the studio system
- Insidious had its world premiere in the Midnight Madness program at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2010. Less than 12 hours after its screening, the film was picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions for theatrical distribution
- Insidious was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 12, 2011 through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- On the day prior to the film's home media release, Sony Pictures and Fangoria hosted a free screening of the film at the Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles followed by an interactive Q&A with director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell
- Insidious had its world premiere in the Midnight Madness program at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2010
- Less than 12 hours after its screening, the film was picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions for theatrical distribution
- On December 29, 2010, it was announced that the film would be released theatrically on April 1, 2011 by the then-relatively new film company FilmDistrict 
- The film was also screened at South by Southwest in mid-March 2011