Karl Cooper research

Shutter island - thriller film case study 2

Director: Martin Scorsese

Written by: Laeta Kalogridis 

Cast: Leonardo Dicaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley

Release date: 12 March 2010 (U.K.)

Budget: $80,000,000

Grossing worldwide: $294,468,405

Opening weekend: $41,062,440

Plot Summary: The implausible escape of a brilliant murderess brings U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner (Mark Ruffalo) to Ashecliffe Hospital, a fortress-like insane asylum located on a remote island. The woman appears to have vanished from a locked room, and there are hints of terrible crimes being committed within the hospital walls. As the investigation deepens, Teddy realizes he will have to confront his own dark fears if he hopes to make it off the island alive.

Cinematography: within the film there is a lot of two shots to introduce the characters as partners. There's tracking shots to eatablish the setting. Certain close ups switching the film show different important props that are a significance to the film. 

Editing: there is also parts of the film that use CGI for example the part when Leo's character is cliff climbing and pans down to see how far up he is they use CGI to add in the rocky seas and oceans below. As well as the storm in the woods they use CGI to imitate the trees being thrown around the woods.

Sound: the non diagetic soundtrack of the film is very orchestral and creates a lot of susspense and tension, this is conventional of a thriller film. Also within this movie there is a lot of non diagetic sound such as the waves crashing against the rocks when leonardo if cliff climbing and the storm outside this is made in post production as foley sound

Mise en scene: the costumes within the film a very important to the narrative. Mark ruffalos costume is a Presteigne 3 price suit very smart and with an overjacket showing that he is a official man who looked smart, but Leo's character is wereing q multi coloured bright tie, tied loosely around his neck looking very skruffy shirt untucked this shows that he is very different unusual. His costume changes to being a mental patients uniform this is forboading the end of the film.

Se7en - thriller film case study 1

Se7en

Directed by: David Fincher

Written by: Andrew Kevin Walker

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt & Kevin Spacey

Release date: 5th January 1995

Opening weekend: $11,434,343

Budget: $33,000,000

Grossing worldwide: $350,000,000

Plot summary:  sadistic mass-murderer John Doe (Kevin Spacey) draws out plans for making an example of the human race by killing seven people..each one representing one of the deadly sins of which they are most guilty of….Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Lust, Pride, Envy and Wrath. Two American detectives, Somerset (Morgan Freeman) who is soon to retire, and Mills (Brad Pitt) his soon to be replacement, must track down this killer and stop him before it is too late. But the men soon realise that their own lives play a big part in Doe’s plans and what he has in store for them changes their lives forever….

Cinematography: the cinematography is very conventional of this genre as it has shot reverse shot stirring scenes of action and also a lot of two shots showing the detectives working together as partners.

Sound: at the start of the film there is no soundtrack only diagetic sounds this is used to grip the audience. The dialogue introduces the main characters as they introduce themselves and it also establishes the genre. The non diagetic soundtrack overall is very tension building and builds enigma through the film. However the title sequence music is different as it is heavy and has a high tempo. The title sequence is introduced by a metronome a slow but steady ticking sound as if a clock was counting down a bomb, which suggests the Idea of crime this helps establish the genre. 

Editing: the editing is mainly jump cuts as the film does not rely on any form of CGI. However during the film on each action scene, the editing is cut at a faster pace this builds tention within the action to give the audience a more thrilling ride.

Mise-en-scene:

The coatumes within the film are typical as the detectives at the time used to have large long jackets, the use of the police badges identifies them as a police officer.

The lighting is very low key within this film because it adds to the tone of the film as it is very dark and gritty it also shows how run down the city is during this time of murder. The lighting is especially dark when they find the killers house and when they find each of the bodies, this is to show how sinister the situation actully is.

Brad pits performance is typical of this style of film he's a the new cop in town and feels as though he could take on anything even though he can't. However on the other hand Morgan freeman is the old cop who knows best and guides the rookie.

Love Actually - title sequence analysis 3

The title sequence from love actully is very unconventional however still is able to convey the genre.

The title sequence is a montage of family members and couples being re-united at an airport this conveys the genre of romance as there is love and care shown within these videos. 

There is also a voice over from one of the characters from the film and he talks about love and describes that love is everywhere this also re enforces the genre but also shows a small amount of comedy by saying love is not always dignified implying that it has a comedic factor to the film

The soundtrack is very conventional as it is soft uplifting. 

Se7en - title sequence analysis 2

Se7en

Directed by Karl Cooper, the sequence has a very gritty feel to it as it is filmed using film and gives a Sepia look to the sequence making it look dirty and dull.

Camera

The title sequence starts with a close-up shot of a book, this creates a sense of mystery for the viewer as they don't know what's in it or who is using it, the next camera angle is a high-angle shot looking down on the book, revealing to the viewer what is on the page, it then shows lots of different shots of close-ups on objects that don't seem to have any meaning to the viewer at that point but have very dark connotations. Throughout the sequence we see a lot of shots of people in black and white photos, being tortured and tormented. This links to the sinister aspect of the film, which is expected from a thriller. There are no long shots in this title sequence so it doesn't really allow the viewer to see what's fully going on, reinforcing the mystery of it. Throughout the clip all of the camera angles are high angles or at eye level which could connote that the filmmaker doesn't want you to see anything of real importance yet but still shows snippets of dark ideas that are within the book and that all the objects shown are of little importance as they are looked down on. However following on to through the sequence we begin to see some featuring images shown by the close ups of the book this darkens the tone of the film. 

Mise-En-Scene;
The Mise-En-Scene puts across very significant ideas in this title sequence, like what to expect from the film and the overall tone it puts across, which is ominous. The lighting in this extract is very dark adding to the ominous tone throughout and there are shadows which could be perceived as someone moving about which keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, wondering who or what it is, as the character is never fully shown which builds enigma to the film. The colours used are very dull and usually consist of brown, grey and black this is trying to convey the sense of dirty and unclean both phisical and mental state of the character. You can also see some words being highlighted on paper, with a black pen, this is to emphasis the darkness of the film and to emphasis key words to the film. The objects shown such as blades and needles also help creates the sense of violence or killing this leads the audience to belive that the character has phycopathic tendencies.0The props such as the note book and the images of mutilation and dark murders show us about the characters mental state as no right minded person would call it normal. The film is based around the seven sins; greed, gluttony, lust, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. This is shown within the note books and shows the characters obsetion with the sins, this connotes a religious importance to the film. The performance shows the character scrapping all the skin using a knife from his fingers to get rid of his finger prints this tells the audience that the character may be doing somthing that could get him in trouble which builds on the idea that he has phycopatjic tendencies and that he does not want to be found out. All of these aspects adds enigma to the film and make the the audience wonder what the person is doing.


Editing;

The opening title sequence starts off with slow paced shots of objects that aren't of any importance to the viewer at that point but which could be important later on in the film. The editing then changes to fast paced cuts, showing a variety of different objects, giving effect as they're shown on the screen for long enough for the audience to see what they are, but not long enough for them to figure out why they're included. The credits shown throughout help define the genre as they are messy and flicker on the screen like a dying light, which creates a sense of foreboding. Most of the images shown, look as if they're being doubled but during editing they change it so that it blurs the images, which connotes to the audience that the person that is in the opening sequence is not mentally stable and doesn't see things clearly. The editing also helps set the mood and adds to the curiosity of the viewer as the shots with the books and writing being highlighted in are more slow paced than the other shots, signifying importance and makes the audience wonder what the person is doing. The editing also gives the audience a sense of what type of mental state the person in the sequence has as the editing is made to look very manic. However most of the editing for this sequence would have had to be phisicaly done as it is real film and would have had to be slowly cut using scissors and stuck together with tape to the cut they wanted .

Sound;
The sound used in this clip, is mostly non-diegetic but some sounds are made to sound natural. For example, sometimes in the clip, a very high pitched noise occurs which tricks the viewer into thinking it's someone screaming, which connotes danger and someone desperate for help, this sets the audience up for the rest of the film and sets the genre of the film. The background music is heavy-sounding and is quite fast. this is typical of a thriller movie as it creates suspense and tension as the speed of the music elevates the tone of the sequence gets darker.

title sequence: Catch Me If You Can

Catch me if you can title sequence analysis:

The title sequence to catch me if you can has an overall mysterious style to it. it gives the views a small understanding to what the film entail and the narrative, it also establishes different settings the film uses. This builds the viewers suspense and keeps them guessing and wanting more before the film has even started, I feel this is due to the animation of two en chasing each other as one of the men changes uniform to match the setting the animation is in. this partially connotes he has something to hide from the other figure. For example he the character dresses as an pilot at an airport, a doctor at a hospital setting, and an office worker this is to hide away from the character dressed in a suit and tie and a hat. This implies a criminal vs. the police.

The ‘main character’ moves very smoothly throughout the whole thing, which makes him look slightly ‘shifty’ in the sense he seems to keep calm, even when it seems like he is in danger. When he is put into a new situation, he seems to stand around for a short amount of time and looks like he is watching the people around him, and then changes his outfit and therefore blends in with the surroundings. This puts across the idea of disguises, which could then lead to the idea of him trying to fool people, which could suggest the film is based around a con artist of some sort.

There are lots of indications of transport, which suggests he moves around a lot, perhaps linking in with the title and trying to keep away from someone who is chasing him. When it seems like he is going to be caught, a new character comes on screen and the music becomes quite dramatic. This causes suspense and tension among the viewers, and makes them expect something. However, when he isn’t caught it calms down, again suggesting ideas to do with the title “Catch Me If You Can” suggesting he is going to make it difficult. This difficulty is definitely portrayed in the title sequence. It hold quite a lot of tension as well, which perhaps sets up the audience to expect a lot of tension and drama in the film.

The Incredible Hulk-title sequence analysis 1

The Incredible Hulk:

The hulk title sequence is a large flashback to give the audience some context/and origin to the films hero and narrative. this is what we call a prologue sequence. the sequence shows you how the hulk got his powers through a series of flashbacks, towards the end of the title sequence after the hulk has his powers the audience is taken into a point of view perspective of the hulk to show you the pain and devastation that he has gone through so you as an audience are able to understand him as a character.

It starts with a red danger button which connotes to the audience that within the film there is action, with a voice over explaining whats happening within each frame while the protagonist is strapped to a chair. there is a romantic sub plot between the women within the sequence this is shown by the way the sequence jump cuts between the two characters and shows them looking at eachother lovingly.

The title sequence shows a major accident that gives Bruce banner his super human powers, this is shown via a track in towards banners eyes the eyes mutate to a aluminous green to show it's a supernatural mutation this shows it's within the superhero genre. Another way the genre is shown is another visual of a mutation using the DNA cells from inside of banner, they enlarge using cgi and turn green shown the birth of his supernatural powers. This shows the genre as it is a typical convention of a superhero movie as a disaster Strikes a man gains supernatural abilitys.

Continuity sequence

This is our continuity sequence. this has changed since the original plan due to one member of our group was not in and the original footage was in a different room. we created a more fast pace parody of batman.

original Continuity sequence: story board

 On Friday 6th, my group: tommy, max and George began to start drawing out/ writing out the story board for our continuity secuence that needed to include the 180 degree rule, shot reverse shot/match on action. Using only this template we created a story and characters with their own backstory.

The sequence is based in 1920s London and shows a story of two gangsters one named George Kary who is the boss of a Major crime ring in London, and a man named Johnny Smith who has stolen £1500 from George's Company to help his family but George doesn't like theives. 

We spent two hours working on each scene within the story board and stuck to the 180 degree rule keeping Johnny on the right and George on the left. We also worked out a way to use match on action and shot revers shot to build tention within a scene, even though tention is not nessesery when filming this task we wanted to explore different atmosphere styles. For the continuity task we hope to film Monday 9th after school.

Tasks: Video

Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.
Main task: the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.