Analysis of an Opening Credit Sequence-Deja Vu-Lisa

Deja Vu's opening titles is an inordinate example of tension and suspense being created during the opening descriptions. Along with the eerie music the slow jagged titles appearing on and off the screen bring the apprehension into existence. 

• The first titling we see is of 'touchstone pictures'- the individual letters appear almost typed onto a black screen and they then fleetly fall out of the screen shot, not long followed by the directors and actors names, which too proceed in the same way. 
• Having the individual letters typed on and then fall aside out of the shot, is a very effective way of implying that something abominable may occur. 
• Often when the titles are on screen, they will be present in a white, clear box- the shot behind will frequently blur constructing a distorted image. 
• At (1.17) the 'Deja Vu' film title will stumble into the shot, once again bounded in a small white box. This to some extent symbolises being trapped and enclosed- having watched the film, the opening titles do reflect a female character being entrapped by men, which is later to occur. 

Thereafter watching and analysing the opening credits of 'Deja Vu', I feel that a similar style to how the titles are presented is something that would work rightful in our opening thriller. As a group, we speculated with creating letters that fall out of the shot- this will embody the storyline of our female character jumping off a cliff edge. 

Analysis of an opening credit sequence - James Bond Gold Finger - Dilys

James Bond Goldfinger has one of the most famous film credits, they are intriguing and daring, perfectly setting up the ambiance for the rest of the film.

 

• The music played in the opening sequence for goldfinger is very mysterious and exhilarating, it helps to introduce the thriller and the long haunting sounds helps to convey the idea of something sinister.
• The use of still naked women and parts of women's body in the opening credits is very significant as it suggests passion and pleasure but also something forbidden. 
• The women are also gold which connects to the title of the film and also implies wealth. The gold bodies against the black backgrounds are very interesting as it creates a contrast of light and darkness. 

•  The clips being played from the movie on the bodies of the women is also important as it shows a glimpse of what is to come and also suggests an element of entrapment in the movie as the clips are trapped in the frames of the women's bodies.
• The credits fade into the shot and back out suggesting something coming and going perhaps like the characters in the movie or the action in the film. 
• The text is quite bold and stands out on the screen as the font is standard and in white, it is also always placed against the plain black background, implying simplicity and perhaps a fearless attitude, much like the protagonist's nature.

Using Match On Action in Our Film- Lisa Walden

We wanted to use Match on Action in our thriller opening to show the techniques that we were capable of using. This technique has only yet cleverly been used once, this is where the young female walks through the graveyard, and we begin to follow her with a hand-held camera. The shot changes to an image of her feet as they slowly walk forward. We wanted to incorporate this into our clip, to portray the image of her slow, uneasy movements towards the graveyard.

As this is our only using of Match On Action we wanted to ensure that it was used correctly to create an impact on the audience. We had considered filming the back of her feet, using a Dolly, however after much practice and experimentation we discovered that the affect of this was not what we wanted it to be like. Also the Dolly created too much of a loud sound and the footage came out fast and jurky- something that didn't tie in with the narrative of the story. We finally made a choice to use the hand-held option viewing the front of her feet, so it's clear to see her slow paced footsteps.

These are images showing where Match On Action is used during our opening. 

Day Of Filming

This image shows us shooting our beach scene- this will be our flashbacks during the opening.

Here the girls are running across the screen with the beautiful sea as a background- the rays of light from the sun came out very well in our shot. 

We filmed this part showing the girls having fun on the beach. This is again part of the various flashbacks. 

Here is a beautiful image of where we shot our cliff scene. 

We used this shot to show the girl journeying towards the cliff.

Whilst we were filming we often stopped to adjust any make-up and hair that needed any amendments. 

We were close to the cliff now- we shot the scene here which shows the girl walking along the grass to her final destination. 

This is again a beautiful shot of the scenary where we shot the final chapter in our opening. 

The girl is now standing close to the edge as we wanted to create a realistic image that she is about to jump. 

We felt it was right to film a few shots from below the cliff, giving an insight into how high up she really is. 

As the sun began to set we managed to shoot some of the final shots of the day. 

These shots are another flashback shot in a small white room. The female here is trapped, so we used mise en scene to create a realistic vibe. 

Throughout we experimented with false lighting to create the feel of her being in a small, dark setting. 

Going for a messed up look gives the impression that she has been struggling and has her life at risk. 

This shot is of her arms being bloody and tied together- we used make-up to achieve this burnt tortured look. 

Pre-Production Planning - Experimentation with tracking - Dilys

The second shot in our sequence is a tracking shot of our character Chantelle's feet. To get this shot smooth and consistent we decided that using a dolly would give us a fluid shot. However when we practiced using the dolly the image came out quite shaky and this is not the effect we wanted for the shot. We then tried holding the camera, with the tripod neatly tucked under an arm to steady it, and with the camera man walking backwards and the camera zoomed in on Chantelle's feet the shoot worked perfectly. Above are the shots with the dolly and without.

Pre-production Planning-Shallow Depth of Field Experimentation - Dilys

When story-boarding our opening we thought it would be very effective to include a shallow depth of field shot to show the significance of the grave and the fact that Chantelle has decided to visit it. We decided that first we would have the grave in focus and the flowers and Chantelle out of focus and then pull Chantelle and the flowers into focus and have the grave distorted in the background as it would have a good impact and emphasis the connection between the two. However when we practiced with a bad and rolled up paper we found that the camera would only give a sharp quality shot of the bag if it was zoomed right in and the same for the paper. So we have decided to change the shot and instead an extreme close up of the flower buds and part of the grave in the background. We decided that this would still convey the same message to our audience and would a give us a much sharper image. 

Pre-Production Planning - Hair Ideas - Dilys

 

We have to think carefully about our characters hair styles so they reflect our characters personalities and also so there will be be a clear distinction between the past and the present. For our shoots of the characters Chantelle in the present we want to have her hair scraggly to show how the events in her past have effected her. But for our flashbacks we want to show Lacey and Chantelle before the incidents, so them having fun and hair that would reflect this. So we have decided that we will have their hair up in tight neat ponytails to show that they take pride in their appearance and that they have no worries or constraints. The video below is another tutorial we found online, to help us prepare our actresses hair for the shoot, the video shows us how to put the girls hairs into long sleek ponytails which will look well cared for.