(Edited) How "Seven's" title sequence similar to "American Horror Story's". ( mise en scene, sound, editing).

The opening credits for "Seven" and "American Horror Story" were actually created by the same person and the same team: Kyle Cooper and the company Prologue. This may be the explanation for why both openings look similar.

The mise en scene in "Seven" is all related- the colours are dark and grungy and the props are all semantically related (criminal-related). This is similar in "American Horror Story's" title sequence. The colours in the "American Horror Story" title sequence are dark, gloomy or cold. The mise en scene then becomes engulfed in flames (such as the baby picture) which foreshadows what happens to Larry and his family (burnt alive). The flames may also reflect the danger of the Murder House due to the fact that since it was built countless people have died in it. Also, "American Horror Story's" props are all semantically related to each other and to the season. Each prop in the opening is relevant and symbolic of what happens in the season. For example, in "American Horror Story: Coven" the burning witch foreshadows Myrtle Snow's burning at the stake and the nun rape scene foreshadows Sister Mary Eunice raping the Monsignor. 

The sound in both opening title's is very similar. Both the sounds are cryptic and irregular due to the crackles. The sound creates a tone of menace and abnormality which is the exact tone they are trying to convey as "Seven" has a very creepy character in the opening title sequence and "American Horror Story's" twisted and warped plot. The sound is essential for both "Seven" and  "American Horror Story's" as they both need to inform the viewer of their genre. The sound also indicates hidden danger in every day life which is "American Horror Story's" main theme. The sound, when paired with the images, portrays the props as menacing. When the baby pictures are paired with the ominous sounds they become demonic and unsettling as the sounds are associated with the paranormal (such as the crackling). 

Figure 1

The editing in "Seven" is very effective. It uses over 90 different shots which cut at random points to create a sense of uncertainty. The font that is chosen is handwritten and cryptic due to the sharp edges. This may be foreshadows the danger the mysterious character is creating. This is similar to  "American Horror Story's" opening as the font can foreshadow a character's death. For example, in  "American Horror Story: Coven" Lily Rabe's name disintegrates which may foreshadow her character's death, shown in figure 1.(her character, Misty Day, disintegrates into ash when she died). "Seven" also used an old technique of editing (cutting the film strip) which caused an overlay effect of flashes and lines of white blinking over scenes. This is similar to "American Horror Story" as it also uses flashes over the scenes to create a "found footage" feel. This allows the viewer to become suspicious and wary of the various scenes and cause the viewer to fear for character's lives.

What ideas or techniques could you take from this to inform the planning of your own thriller opening

The sound of "Seven's" opening switches between loud and soft which presented the film as ever changing. The varying sound could be used in my opening to either foreshadow the film's events or a character's personality. 

The editing used in "American Horror Story's" opening is very effective when coming to fonts. For example: "American Horror Story: Coven" used fonts to foreshadow death. The fonts flashed and disintegrated on and off the shot and the names appeared against a slowly moving background where the name is visible. 



How does the title sequence use editing, mise en scene and sound in "Se7en"?

The title sequence of "Se7en" uses editing. mise en scene and sound to convey specific connotations and set the tone for the rest of the film.

"Se7en" uses a lot of different shots which are only a few seconds long. The cuts are irregular which presents the film as fragmented further illustrating detective Sommorsett's mindset. The different shots are jolted and the main character is presented as a mentally incapacitated detective.  The old film like overlay is unsettling due to the jerkiness of it which although isn't scary it creates a weird almost sadistic tone.

The mise en scene in the opening is odd and the audience becomes confused by the film and therefore intrigued by the film. The various shots of old files and criminal-related props informs the audience of the film's tone.  The different files had words being crossed out in a black marker pen which conjures connotations of death. The black pen compliments the dull colours of the opening scene and casts a negative and cold tone upon the film causing the audience to grasp a vague understanding of the discourse of the film. 

The sound of the opening ties everything together. The opening flips between polyphonic and homophonic textures without warning with a constant hi-hat beat. The changing texture creates connotations of inconsistency. The texture isn't set and the sound often changes whilst utilising the same instruments/sounds. For example the only "normal" instrument to be heard is a drum kit which is twisted and turned into an instrument of a twisted nature due to the other sounds it is paired with. The radio static and the theremin are both unusual sounds not heard in every day life and are therefore alien to most people. This presents the film as unusual itself as the sounds are different which places the film into a category that the audience cannot name which ultimately entices audiences to watch the film due to the unfamiliarity. 

How does the opening and chase scene from "The Third Man" use filming and composition techniques, mise en scene and cinematography to create meanings, metaphors and effects?

Figure 1

"The Third Man" uses filming and composition techniques to evoke specific meanings and feelings. The use of confounding and titled shots disorientate the viewer, reflecting character's psychological state. In Figure 1 a tilted shot is used as it shows Holly tilting his head, mirroring the camera's tilt. This may be used to highlight Holly's sharp intellect as he is the one to kill and indirectly save future children's lives. Holly mimicking the tilt shot is a very subtle way which points out Holly's intelligence and perceptive nature and therefore informs the audience in a creative way that Holly is the central protagonist of the story and is going to "save the day". Also, the mise en scene fit the German Expressionism conventions. For example, the chairoscuro lighting used casts a strong and bold shadow against the wall which may suggest that Holly is a morally ambiguous character. The use of a strong key light in this shot draws attention to Holly.

Figure 2

In Figure 2 a tilt shot is used again to disorientate the viewer. The disorientation matches the dialogue as the butler confuses heaven and hell (he points up for hell and down for heaven) which reinforces the disorientation. The confusion created by this scene sets up a major theme for the film: disorientation. Also, a strong light has been cast upon the scene as the archway has a jagged and and angular shadow. The sharp geometry of the shadow conjures images of danger and suggests that Harry's house is a house of danger.

Figure 3

Figure 3 shows a very angular kiosk. The German expressionism used makes the kiosk seem unusually dangerous due to the sharp angles. Kiosks are not dangerous however this kiosk is presented as threatening which intrigues the audience. We later discover that the kiosk is an instrumental part of the plot. The threatening kiosk may reflect danger in everyday life as the kiosk appears threatening when a kiosk is normally nothing. This may suggest further how dangerous it actually was for citizens at that time. The kiosk is a path down to the sewer which may reflect how citizens at the time were in danger at all times and even a kiosk is dangerous. Also, the strong key light from behind the kiosk casts a strong shadow on the floor which subtly informs the reader of the importance of the kiosk.

Figure 4

 In figure 4 we only see Harry's shadow-not his physical self. This may reflect how Holly has been chasing a Harry's shadow for the majority of the film. The strong dark shadow produced by the key light quite literally shows Harry's inner darkness/evil and the audience begin to suspect Harry is far from good. Also, the tilted shot once again disorientates the audience and the audience begin to feel like Holly. In this scene Holly is intoxicated and dizzy so he too is disorientated. The vanishing point in this shot is off screen and the audience's eyes are naturally drawn towards the bright light instead of the shadow. 

Preliminary Task AS

Preliminary Task -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.

                                                                   Planning

We planned the shoot to ensure we did not break the 180 degree rule by rehearsing the scenes and filming multiple scenes to ensure we had the best angle and shot. To ensure we would not break the 180 degree rule we rehearsed several times to give us an idea of how the scene would appear. We planned each stage and each shot/angle had a specific purpose. We planned the shots using a storyboard which showed us the basic structure and it showed us the angles we would use. We tried not to stray too far from our storyboard as we were happy with the variety of shots we had included. We also created a floor plan so when we arrived at the location we could quickly film as we had a short amount of time to film. We followed the floor plan with slight alterations ( for example: when the first character enters the room and is standing).  
During filming we followed the storyboard whilst adding a few scenes such as the last two scenes. We added the last two scenes so we could include more shots and use these shots to show character's status ( in the shot below character 1 is lower than character two for example- which shows the power of character 2).

I feel that there is not much more planning we could have done in the time we had. If we had more time I would have wanted to use lighting more effectively.
                                                                Techniques
We used various techniques in our final cut. For example we used 11 different shot types. We also obeyed the 180 degree rule as if we were not to follow it the viewers would become disorientated and the short film would be confusing to watch.  An example of the 180 degree shot can be seen in the shot below. This shot orientates the viewer and allows the short film to be easier to follow.
We also used continuity editing to make our short film seem . Continuity editing can be seen from 0:18 - 0:24. The continuity editing is smooth and there is not any sudden jumps which gives our short film a sense of professionalism.
We also used a mixture of shots. For example we used an extreme close up of character 1 (image below) in develop an intensity to the scene. The character has equal space on the left and right side of their face as we intended in order to show that the character has a calm mental state.

When editing we changed the order of shots. For example, we cut the shot of the two hands and inserted it into the first conversation shot whilst the dialogue continued in the background. We also used fade to black a few times to make the transitions smoother.

                                                              Main Learning Points

Whilst planning our task my group and I worked well which allowed us to plan efficiently and film quickly. We were all happy with the end product and we were happy with our storyboard.
The Preliminary Task also allowed me to become much more confident whilst using a camera and using various angles. It also taught me how to edit and I feel more confident when editing so when I edit my final task I can use the software to the best of my ability.

The penultimate shot is used to establish character 2 as a powerful individual shown through the different height in the shot. We tried to portray character 2 as the strongest character by showing her as calm and collected. We did not use any extreme close ups of character 2 as we did not want to present her as intense but rather as calm with a sense of authority and power. We also portrayed character 1 as the weaker character by leaving the character on his own at the end to isolate him.

We kept to the 180 degree rule throughout the short film by shooting on one side only in order to prevent any disorientation of the viewer. Our conversation was inspired by "Coffee and Cigarettes" as it used various shots whilst showing a conversation. We also used a bird's eye view shot which was used in "Coffee and Cigarettes" as it was a unique shot which isn't always used in conversations.
Our main problem during the filming and editing was the sound quality. The sound quality in the short film is poor so when I film and edit my final task I plan on using a boom-mic to ensure a high sound quality.

We did encounter one other problem which was that when editing we needed a shot to fill a gap which we did not have. We did not have enough time to re-film so we had to improvise and we put another shot in the gap.

How do Directors film a conversation?

Directors use various techniques to film conversation. Each technique is highly useful and can add immense depth to a character. In this post I am going to analyse the various techniques used by directors to film a conversation.

In "The Lord of the Rings" there is a scene including Gollum which stays very true to the 180 degree rule. In the scene Gollum is having a conversation with himself. When Gollum is shot from the left he is speaking as the evil Gollum whereas when Gollum is shot from the right he is speaking as Smeagol, Gollum's previous self before the Ring corrupted him. The director uses the different shots to show the two sides of Gollum- the good and the bad. 

The camera angles also use head/nose room too. Towards the end of the conversation Gollum takes up the a large proportion of the screen creating a claustrophobic setting. The claustrophobic shot places the viewer in a confined space with the twisted Gollum. When the shot is on Smeagol there is a lot of nose/head room. Smeagol does not take up a lot of the shot and it presents Smeagol as isolated. This creates sympathy from the audience towards Smeagol and a hatred towards Gollum and ultimately creates confusion as the viewer feels indifferent towards Gollum/Smeagol. At the end of the scene the pace increases and Gollum gains independence by shouting Gollum away. The abundance of nose/head room presents Smeagol as independent rather than alone and isolated.  

Watch the scene below:

In "The Walking Dead" there is a scene between Carol and a young boy named Sam. The director stays true to the 180 degree rule during this scene. The use of the 180 degree rule is paired with a continuity cut and the entire scene is smooth. This may hint at Carol's relaxed composure even though she is threatening a young child with death by zombies. The scene is overall disturbing due to the dialogue but the various techniques used magnifies the effect. The scene begins with Carol appearing to have a sunny disposition however as soon as Sam mentions he has to tell his mother her mood changes. Carol forces Sam against a wall and a shadow covers half a face. The light and dark colours on her face conveys the idea that Carol has two sides to her: friendly and approachable and malicious and scary. 

The camera uses close ups of the characters and this draws more attention to their expression. Carol's expression doesn't change which is unsettling as it does not match what she is saying. Sam's face however shows his genuine fear of Carol. At the end of the scene Carol is standing close to Sam and every shot of Sam shows Carol towering over him presenting him as scared and as the weaker character. Sam has nothing in the background except a wall which shows he is in a confined space and with his back up against the wall whereas Carol has room behind her. This conveys Carol as the stronger character and makes an emphasis on how lethal Carol actually is.

Watch the scene below:

"The Road to Awesomeness"

 The 180 degree rule's main purpose is to orientate the viewer and make the scene easier to watch and comprehend. It is extremely important as it allows viewers to clearly understand a shot without being confused and creates a smooth conversation, show down etc. However directors can break it to achieve the opposite effects.The 180 degree rule may however be broken in certain circumstances. For example, in "The Good, The Ugly, The Weird" the 180 degree rule is broken to create disorientation. The broken 180 degree rule allows the director to subliminally show character's mentalities by disorientating the viewer. 

Peaky Blinders Essay

 The colours in this shot contrast with the previous shots due to the intense colours which may reflect the character's personality. The characters look like ordinary civilians for the time era and do not stand out much in the previous shots however in this shot the bright and vibrant colours may symbolise the gang's mentality portraying them as villains. Also, the characters all have the same expression on their face which informs the viewer that they are a gang and due fire the viewers will assume they are the villains. The red colours connote danger and power which portray the gang as powerful as well as dangerous.

The characters are shot at eye level from the side in slow motion. The eye level suggests that there may be another equally powerful gang approaching. The slow motion constructs their power as well. Also, the slow motion may reflect their composure: relaxed. This portrays the characters as sadistic as they are causing destruction and yet they do not seem to flinch where most people would be afraid of the fire etc.

In this shot the gang are walking together through a puddle. The puddle was still and calm until the heavy boots disturbed it. This could foreshadow the oncoming chaos as the calamity of the scene is disturbed by the gang. It could also signify the loss of peace which portrays the characters negatively due to the loss of tranquillity. The idea of lost peace is also introduced due to the loss of the white sky, The gang marches through the puddle and whilst doing so they block out the white sky. White has innocent and peaceful connotations so the loss of the sky could reflect the loss of innocence as well as the loss of peace.  Also, the dark boots may symbolise the impending brutality due to the heavy steps which are taken whilst walking through the puddle.

The shot is taken from a low angle which focuses on the feet stampeding through a puddle which draws attention to the disturbance of the calm puddle. The low angel also portrays the characters as powerful as well as negative as they march toward the camera and intimidate the viewer. The low angle prevents the face from being seen first but the heavy boots instead. The viewers first impression will be based off the boots and due to the dark colour negative connotations are produced.

 The puddle in this scene is very still which is significant as the gang walks through the puddle and destroys the calamity. This also juxtaposes against the gang as the puddle is still and tranquil whereas the gang is anger-fuelled and agitated.

The shot is taken in an unusual low shot. Due to the puddle's still nature the camera appears upside down however once the gang draws closer the viewers become orientated and realise that the camera was directed at the puddle.

(Edited) Media Studies Summer Task - Comparison of ‘Casino Royale’s’ and ‘L.A Noire’s’ opening scene/ title sequence.

 In “Casino Royale’s” opening scene the genre is established quickly through the use of tension. “Casino Royale” begins slowly but then becomes faster which builds tension and entices the viewer to keep watching. As well as this half way through the clip there is a pause where the music and fast-paced action is paused. We are then taken back to the beginning scene in a room with 2 characters. Also, there is little dialogue and instead the focus is on the action. This reinforces the action stereotype and sticks to the conventions of the genre (masculine characters. guns, violence etc) as well as sticking to the generic theme of the "James Bond" series.. Also, in the "Casino Royale" clip the antagonist is followed by a camera as the background music begins to speed up. The camera follows him and the camera jolts often which creates panic and tension whilst creating a chase scene. The viewer follows the antagonist and as the music reaches the fastest and most exciting climax Bond bursts through the door and the fight scene begins. This is very different to “L.A Noire’s” title sequence as the title scene is very relaxed with no suspense. The genre is not established clearly and therefore presents the game as a mystery. The only things that are learned by the viewer are the time period (due to the fashion and the mellow music) and the narrator describing the city. The mysterious nature conveyed through the title scene provokes the viewer to want to discover the mystery. There is also another difference between the two which is that in "L.A Noire" the clip is mainly narration. The narration provides a basic insight into the background and describes the city as well as showcasing the time period.

The representation of gender is very male-dominated. In “Casino Royale” the primary focus is on a male. In "Casino Royale" it is widely known that whenever a woman is present in a "James Bond" film it is for one reason: a love interest. This is similar in “L.A Noire’s” title sequence as the detective is a male. The women are all wearing make-up too. The make-up reinforces the female stereotype and may reflect the society’s view on women. This may be the video game designers criticising society's views towards women too due to the excessive make-up. Also, there is on scene where the viewer is shown a class room with a male teacher. In the classroom it is difficult to make out any females however many male characters can be seen. This could also reflect the harsh sexism women suffered in that time period. As well as this there are no women entrepreneurs. Each one is male which reinforces the stereotype that women are not able to do hard labour but instead are restricted to stay at home. The other job women were shown to have in the clip was acting. There was one scene which was almost purely women-dominated however all the women were lining up for an audition for a movie which once again reinforces the idea that women cannot do hard labour. 

In the "Casino Royale" clip there is no colour. The clip is monochrome which allows for important characters to be spotted and draws the viewer's attention to them. For example, whilst James Bond is at the cricket match the audience is seen in white whereas Bond is adorned in dark colours. He stands out against the crowd and is established as a major character instantly. Also, his face cannot be seen due to the shadows which portrays the character as mysterious and entices the viewer to watch and discover who he is. The use of colour in "L.A Noire" is completely different. Throughout the clip colour is used and no excitement is created due to the normal setting. The normal and plain atmosphere created invites the player to discover the game and indulge in the rich back-story of the city as told by the narrator. 

Introduction

Hi! I'm Sam Fisher and I am currently studying Media Studies, Psychology, Biology and English Literature and Language at CNS Sixth form.