Title Research: Hostage

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?

There were about 29 titles in the introduction of the movie Hostage. The title of the movie (hostage) was in the middle of the titles rather than the end like I thought was a waste in suspense. The film has such a great title, and I feel it was wasted by putting it in the middle rather than the end.

What images are prioritized in opening sequence?

During the opening sequence, it was an animated showing of the city and how the city should appear in the movie. When the opening sequence ends it changes to a real actor screaming in a caged area.

What connotations do the images carry?

They show that struggle, distress, and ruggedness of the city. This lets the audience know what the rest of the movie is going to be like. This is important to draw in the targeted audience.

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?

The genre of action is shown through the chaos of helicopters, guns, army men, etc. However, there is a slight showing of a thriller towards the end of the opening sequence, when they show a character screaming.

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?

It shows signs of war and distress, leaving the audience with suspense, wondering why the city looks this way. This leaves them intrigued and continuing to watch the movie.

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?

The film is appealing towards what can only be assumed to be the male audience. This is because the film shows everything that a boy is told they should like, hence why this film would try to target them.

How has technology been used effectively?

Technology has been used through the use of editing animation. This leaves a lack of detail in the opening sequence, leaving the audience hanging with just enough information to have them intrigued. The last edit used at the end of the introduction really shows the transition from the intro to the core of the movie. This shows the audience a piece of what they will see throughout the rest of the movie. Crew

Title Research: The Notebook

 In the movie, The Notebook, there were 10 titles in the opening sequence of it. During the opening sequence I noticed that the most common images used were characters that are going to be in the film; these images carried a sense about the movie, kind of like giving the basis of the film. For example, the characters appear as ink blots on paper to symbolize the film being about a notebook of someone, this reenforces some background as well as fits the theme of the movie being a literal notebook. The outset used in the opening sequence creates mystery about the film by introducing it with soft music as well as the way the background is. The background seems to be a page with light writing in it indicating it being a notebook of some sort, but it does not answer who's notebook or its significance. Some strategies used to ensure that the film appeals to the target audiences are the slower transitions as well as placement of the characters. In the opening sequence the titles are written in normal print to capture the viewer as it being a person handwriting the titles in. Also, the transitions in the film play a large factor as they are slow fade outs of characters as well as titles that are replaced slowly. The images that come in also captivate the viewer as they are ink dots of characters to show it's being written in or made by a pen. The slow fadeouts of the film are what really tie it together as it will present that the film will be more relaxed and not as tense as other thrillers. This goes for the angles as well being that the camera is held steady as POV in the beginning to show hands on the side holding a notebook, once the camera zooms into the pages the camera is held steady to make it clear that the notebook pages are the main focus.

Title Research: Se7en

For this project my group and I researched the opening titles of movies. I chose to do the movie se7en which is the same genre we chose of thriller. During the opening sequence 27 titles are displayed. They included the directors, producers, actors, and etc. from the movie. Throughout the 2 minutes of the opening scene there are many images shown to represent what the movie will be about. It mostly incorporates slides that can be interpreted as setting up or hiding a murder. The images make the movie seem very mysterious and frightening as it does not show the face of anyone but includes hair, razor blades, and pictures of potential victims. The images carry a very threatening, secretive connotation. As the images play out, it reveals more about the murders and persuades the audience to want to keep on watching.

Throughout the opening theme of thriller is heavily carried out. The use of mysterious pictures, notebooks, and forensics helps to portray the thriller theme. As well as the pictures, the text titles help the genre to be carried out. The font and the effect of the glitch on the titles carry the theme even further as it makes the movie seem suspenseful and spooky. Enigma, which is an object or person that is mysterious, puzzling, or hard to understand is represented through the opening title sequence. The opening purposely includes objects that are interesting but confusing so that it leads the audience to keep watching. This was presented by crossing out a child's face and writing notes in a book. It doesn't fully show you what he writes but you know it is important because of the continuous videos they show of it.

Strategies that I noticed are used to appeal to certain audiences are the ability to make the scene look very secretive and show that something horrible is about to happen. Technology has been used very effectively whether it pertains to the camera angles pr the editing techniques. By the images being all close ups it portrays that the movie is going to be a suspenseful movie because they won't tell you important details, like who the killer is, which makes it very mysterious and appealing to the audience. The editing techniques depicted, also allow the audience to feel thrilled and scared by the transitions of the titles and the effects used, such as the glitch effect.

Title Research: Split

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?

There were 23 titles displayed in the opening sequence which included the starring actors, production company, casting agent, the editor, and more.

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?

The opening sequence contained quick clips and images of the kidnapping situation that that takes place throughout the movie. The clips are scattered and quick as to not reveal too much about the film but still create a suspenseful introduction.

What connotations do the images carry?

The images create a feeling of suspense and fear through the fast unexpected cuts and the terrified expression on the young girls face. The images in the sequence also set the mood for the film by depicting a frightening kidnapping situation, which will clearly contain a lot of thrill and terror.

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?

The genre is reinforced by through the symbolism of the frightening images. The images symbolize a situation that is supposed to seem intense and thrilling. These qualities match and reinforce the Thriller genre. Additionally, technical codes like the splitting of the screen into flashing boxes help portray the thriller genre as well.

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?

The tiles and strange building briefly shown every few seconds establishes an enigma. It confuses but engages the reader as to what the images could mean and why they are significant. Additionally, the images of the girl also establish an an enigma since the audience would be confused as to why she is screaming.

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?

For this specific movie, I would say the target audience would be someone looking to enjoy an intense thriller, and could most likely endure violent or frightening scenes. So, the film appeals to this type of viewer by maintaining elements of the genre and insuring the film appears to be thrilling and frightening from the start. The title sequence conveys these moods by quickly cutting from the fast appearing titles to disturbing clips of the victim being kidnapped while also including intense but eerie music.

How has technology been used effectively? You want to consider camera angles, transitions, and editing techniques?

Technology has been used effectively through the use of color, and simple, but purposeful effects that align with the common elements of a Thriller. The use of color is seen by the absence of it, when I say this I mean how the film maintains a black and white color scheme that clearly depicts not only the seriousness of the film but also the intensity of a physiological thriller. Additionally, the effects used in the title sequence appear to be minimal but this only adds to the mood that is typing to be achieved. The effects are the flashing back from each title and the random but fast-moving appearances of phrases across the screen that almost indicate a theme of horror.

Title Research: Watch The Titles Website

One of the websites that my group is using for title research is watchthetitles.com. This

is a website that is used specifically for studying the art of title making. It has over 200

title sequences and interviews for researchers to choose from. Not only does it provide

us with example opening sequences to show the titles, it also gives an explanation of

why they were chosen. This website was launched in 2006. Making it the world's very

first web page that is dedicated to title design.

The website opens up to a slideshow of potential films you can research. Underneath

this, is a choice of interviews you can use as research. Once you get past the

interviews, it brings you to the six different research categories. These categories

consist of: feature films, TV shows, Event titles, student projects, video games, and

French Fridays. At the top of the screen is where you can find the words "Title

Sequence ", clicking on this brings you to the many opening sequences that my group

will be able to use for our title research. This website offers TV shows, student films,

and movies of a variety of genres, making it the perfect website for my group to use.

Some of the films that you can research on this website are the Pink Panther, The

Dreamers, Splice, Sky Fighters, etc. After clicking on the film you choose, it will show

you their open sequence, insider information, information about the film, and it will allow

you to leave a comment. After researching this website my group feels more confident

about of title research process. We will now pick a film(s) off this website and use them

for our research.

Title Research: Art of the Title Website

Since we have started our final task, we began with finding our genre as well as researching it for our final task; now we began researching the titles of movies in our genre. After researching websites, we found the website artofthetitle.com. In this website, it has an overwhelming amount of movies as well as series, however, this website focuses on the titles of movies. For example, you are able to click on a movie such as "Venom" and see the opening 10 minutes to see the titles that pop up and pertain to that movie, the same thing with the final 10 minutes of the movie. For our purposes we will be focusing on the movies that have titles within the first 10 minutes as it is more relevant to our final task project. Also, we will be researching movies and movies only as our final task is the first 2 minutes to a movie. On the website you can search the designers as well as studios involved in the title sequence that would pertain to your movie for further research in your film. Finally, on the website you are able to directly search the movie you would like to see the opening or closing. This allows for a more direct search for specific kinds of movies that someone may have previously thought of.

Genre Research: Bird Box

Common clamps:
a. Costumes: Ragged, dirty, and distressed clothing and blindfolds.
b. Lighting: Dark and dim lighting, creating suspense.
c. Acting: The acting with the victims (sane characters) was always in fear,
always ready for survival mode to kick in. While the insane characters were as
happy as ever, and they wanted to share that happiness with the others.
d. Makeup: The makeup and hair in this movie is used to make the characters
look dirty and distressed. They also use makeup to apply blood, gashes, cuts,
bruises, paler skin, gun shot wounds, etc.
e. Props: The props used, resemble survival equipment. This is to help the
characters play their parts as “potential survivors” of the end of the world.
f. Setting: The setting changes from inside to outside. When the scene is
outdoors it is more intense because the characters are at more of a risk.
However, when the scene is indoors it is more suspenseful, in trying to
determine what will happen next, or information, giving the audience a second
to process what just happened.

2. Common Cam:
a. Angles:
b. Movements: A common camera movement was a tracking shot. This was
used to keep up with the characters while they were running or trying to
navigate while blindfolded.
c. Shots: There were a lot of point of view shots, this let the audience experience
what the characters were experiencing. Another shot that stood out was sort of
a trunk shot it was from under the boat as the characters flipped it over. A shot
that was used a lot during scenes on the river, were birds eye view shots. These
shots showed the boat and the path they have taken along with the emptiness
and loneliness around the characters.

3. Common Sound:
a. A common type of sound was diegetic sound. This was the sound of the wind,
bushes rustling, a character falling, the water rushing in the river.

4. Common Editing:
a. Wjsvc
5. Elements of Thriller:
a. The movie fell under this genre, because of its phycological standpoint. The
movie is about the survival of facing these creatures that take your greatest fear

and deepest sadness and make you commit suicide. They get inside your head
and if you open your eyes outside then you can see them.
b. The movie also used suspense by showing what the ending was and then flashing
back and forth from the end to the beginning.
c. This also creates excitement by allowing the audience to create an explanation
for the ending before it is shown.

6. Elements I liked:
a. I liked all of these elements because I think they truly made the movie a must
watch. They have your feelings running from excited to sad to relieved to scared
and back to sad.
7. Elements I disliked:
a. I did not dislike any of the elements in the movie, I actually feel that the movie
did its job, in leaving the audience wanting more to the story.

Genre Research Powerpoint

While researching our topic, it was easy to consider what Genre we would be doing. The assignment was to pick a genre randomly and research the common elements, sounds and lighting of the genre. In this case we were given the genre of Drama. During our research phase we gathered all information into categories with subheadings as seen above. After we decided on whether or not to use google slides to hold our information as a powerpoint but we ended up using google slides. After deciding on google slides, we placed all the information into the slides and began constructing our slide show which came out well. We changed the backgrounds to be visually appealing to the viewer and after that we were finished with the work.

Genre Research: Get out

This weekend my group and I watched 4 thriller films individually to write our blogs on them.  I picked the movie, Get Out, to watch and write about. While watching I was looking for certain things including the camera angles, shots, and movements. As well as common costumes, makeup, and props. Lastly, I specifically looked for common sounds and editing techniques. The common costumes I found in a thriller film particularly "Get Out" were, regular clothes and masks. They did not have any extravagant costumes because most of the time the actors are pretending to be normal people, not anything special that they would have to wear costumes. Sometimes however, thrillers include scary and creepy masks that the 'stalkers' use. It creates a suspenseful and scared feeling. Lighting that thriller genres commonly use are dark and eery lighting. Most scenes in a thriller usually take place during the nighttime to make the audience anxious, thus creating the dark lighting. In thrillers there are certain acting techniques used to enhance the scenes. Regular acting in the genre include a lot of terrified expressions, for example screaming and crying. Makeup techniques are used as well in thrillers. There are two certain makeup looks that are the most common. These include simple/normal looking makeup and bloody/dirty styled makeup. Most of the time the 'victims' will be hurt from the antagonist so they will have cuts and dirt on them to enhance the actions of the antagonist.

Another thing I was searching for while watching, was props. I found that all the props had violence in common. A lot of the times they used knives, guns, and bats. Most of these props are used to harshly hurt or kill actors in the film. Lastly, there is common settings in thrillers. This usually includes an outside setting for example when the 'victim' is running from the bad guy. As well as inside a house. These settings mostly allow for the enhancement of suspense in the film. We were also asked to look for camera angles, shots, and movements. I recognized that there was a certain pattern when it came to camera shots. The most common shots used were wide shots, close up, point of view shot, and long shot. Most of these shots were used in the point of view of the protagonist/main character. The camera angels used were, low angels trunk shot. It allows the audience to feel what the actors are feeling and put the audience in their shoes. This makes for a better movie and allows for more sales.

Lastly, I observed particular camera movements. The important ones that I witnessed were tracking shot and pan shot. I found that a tracking shot was used very often to follow any character. For example, during the movie, there was a scene that I recognized as an important tracking shot. The character was on the phone while the kidnapper was following him in a car, however it used a tracking shot to follow the guy while being able to show the reactions on his face. This added a dramatic effect to the scene. Next, I looked for sounds. The movie included many sounds like diegetic sound, sound motif, dialogue, score, incidental music, and ambient sound. Much of this occurred when an intense scene was taking place. Then I searched for certain editing techniques. I found that cross cutting, cutaway, insert, and eye line match were the usual in a thriller. Throughout this assignment I learned a lot of things that I wouldn't have previously looked for if it wasn't for this. I noticed the specific techniques they used and realized the effect it had on helping to enhance certain parts of the film.

Genre Research: Limitless

. Mis en Scene in "Limitless":

Costumes- Many suits are worn throughout the movie to dress the high profile characters, like the businessman in an early scene. Also, the main character often has scenes in worn-out clothes.

Lighting- For the most part the lighting in the movie is darker, but to show a transition from his nightly outings to the next morning there is brighter lighting.

Acting- The main character, Bradley Cooper, acts in a serious manner throughout most of the film, but also charming and cunning when he needs to. Overall, most characters are either serious or confident and clever.

Makeup- Besides everyday casual makeup, makeup was only seen in some violent scenes where fighting would occur and makeup was used to make realistic cuts and gashes of blood on characters.

Props- Many props were used throughout this movie. There was the computer the main character uses to write his novel, the magic drug he was later given, some guns in violent scenes, phones were also used throughout the entire movie as the main character spoke on the phone many times.

Setting- The movie takes place in New York City, however, some scenes like the car-chase scene was filmed in Purto Vallarta.

2. Camera Angles, Movements, and Shots

Angles- Low and High angles are used throughout the film, for example in the first scene as the main character is on the edge of a building the use a high angle to show how far he is from the ground and a low angle to show him standing tall. Also, eye-level shots and shoulder level shots are used throughout the movie when the main character is talking to another person.

Movements-A pan is used in the first scene again where he is standing on the roof to show all of his surroundings. Also, the zoom is used when the main character takes the "drug" and immediately feels all of its effects. Tracking is used as the main character feels very confident and he is walking down the streets of New York.

Shots- Many close-ups are used in serious conversations, where the viewer should listen closely to what they are saying. Also, many birds-eye view shots are used like in the car chase scene. Lastly, long shots are also used throughout the film to show entire rooms and characters within the room.

3. Common Sound in "Limitless":

All types of sound are used in this movie, with a focus on non-diegetic sounds to emphasize each little thing that happens in the scenes. For example, in the first scene when the main character is on the roof, traffic sounds and city noises are very present. Also, in the first scene, a voiceover is used as the main character explains he is about to tell us how he arrived in the situation shown. Additionally, Dialogue is one of the most important sounds in this movie and it can be found in almost every scene. For instance, in the very beginning when he has a conversation with an acquaintance about a mystery drug.

4. Common Editing- 

Since this is a complex film it included many editing techniques. For example, many jump cuts are used like in a scene where is he in a park on a bench and it cuts to a fast-moving work scene. Then, in the same scene, an eye-line match is used to show him reading numbers on a  computer and analyzing extremely fast. Also, in a later fighting scene, an action match is used to show him mimicking certain moves he had seen in a movie before.

5. Elements of Thrillers seen in the movie "Limitless":

Like a common Thriller movie, "Limitless" has a very engaging storyline especially since it starts off with a scene with the main character standing on top of a skyscraper. Also, in Thrillers, you often see the protagonist fall victim to someone else scheme or plot, and while in this movie there is no clear antagonist, it can be said that the magic drug he takes is the scheme he has been taken advantage by. Moreover, when it comes to the special effects in Thrillers, this movie follows typical effects of the genre by not including anything out of the ordinary like lasers or animation.

6. Elements of the genre "Limitless" had, that I liked: 

I always enjoy the engaging, on the edge of your seat, plot thrillers usually have, and this movie definitely had it. Also, I liked how this movie contained complex scenes that made you focused and not mindlessly watching. Lastly, the intensity of the movie like most Thrillers kept me engaged and always excited for the next scene

7. Elements of the genre "Limitless" had, that I did not like: 

Some things I did not enjoy about this movie, which many thrillers have is how it is unrealistic.  Many movies are enjoyable to watch because viewers can relate or almost think its real, however, in "Limitless" the plot of the movie seems surreal and very unlikely to happen. Also like many other thrillers, it is a very serious high-action movie so it is not suitable for casual viewing.

Final Genre Decisions

As a group, we researched 3 specific genres we were interested in using. The first genre of epic, Reese and I researched for a prior activity. We didn’t think this fit our ideas very well because we only had one idea that wasn’t a horror film and it was more of an action. The second one was drama, which Lucy and James had researched for the project before. I thought the drama genre could be a potential option to use for our film but we thought of one more that might change our minds. This was the thriller genre. We all unanimously decided to pick thriller as our genre. This was because of our interest in the genre from our favorite movies to the enjoyment in the project. However, once we picked the idea of a scary film we had to choose between horror and thriller. At first, we did not know the difference between the two until we had researched the two genres. The horror genre was more gory and violent while thriller is psychological and sneaky. Since our idea had to do with a stalker we decided that the thriller genre better fit our idea.

Genre Research: Two Decisions

We chose to research 2 genres for our project, the first one is Thriller, and the second one is Epic.

Thriller-

Camera Angles:

Common camera angles used in a thriller movie include high angles/birds-eye view, eye level, and a dutch angle. These are all used because they create a dramatic and suspenseful effect.

Camera Movements:

Common camera movements used in thrillers include tracking shots, zoom shots, and pan or tilts. These are used to help develop the story and keep the viewer engaged and make the movie feel suspenseful.

Camera Shots:

Common Camera shots used in thrillers include Point of View shots, close-up shots, and long shots. These also help explain the story and depict the whole scene while also including shots like close-ups to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat.

Mis- En- Scene:

There is a wide range of costumes that can be used in a thriller depending on the story. It could be regular outfits or lab coats for a creepy doctor thriller. Next, the lighting in a thriller is typically darker and not so colorful to make the film feel more sinister and suspenseful. Actors in a thriller movie should be fully involved in the thriller and convince the viewers the events taking place in the film are almost real by maintaining the suspenseful tone and expression of the genre. Furthermore, makeup used in a thriller is normally minimal makeup to show the characters as regular people and to not distract the viewers from the intense plot. However, when appropriate like in a violent scene gory makeup is commonly used to show scratches and blood. Next, props that are used in thrillers are things like guns, knives, and other violent weapons. Also, sometimes in movies that are outside or about survival use things like ropes or tents. Lastly, a common setting in a thriller can be many places, like outside in the woods, or a creepy doctor lab, and some thrillers even have the whole movie taking place in a secluded room.

Elements of a Thriller:

A thriller needs to have an engaging storyline because the basis of a thriller movie is all about suspense. Also, and an essential element of a thriller is a victim falling prey to someone else's plan or scheme. Additionally, thrillers should be told from the point of view of the victim or protagonist. Moreover, some thrillers don't use any special effects to make the plot and characters feel realistic, while some are the complete opposite and use many effects if they are more along the lines of a Sci-Fi thriller.

Examples of Film in this Genre:

Examples of Thrillers include movies like Bird Box which is about a family trying to survive in an apocalyptic world, and Limitless, a movie about a young man who is taken by foreign businessmen and given the potential to unlock the full capacity of his brain.

Common Sounds:

Sounds that are used in thrillers can be either very loud and intense or purposeful specific sounds, depending on the movie. For example, a thriller that has a lot of action and fast-moving plot will use a lot of non-diegetic sounds to increase the intensity of the film, while thrillers like the TV series "You" use almost all diegetic sounds and a lot of voice over that make the movie feel creepy and suspenseful rather than fast-moving.

Elements you like:

A thriller movie typically has a very engaging plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat which we like a lot. Also, thrillers often make you think and use your brain to understand the complex plot, unlike genres like comedies which you can just mindlessly watch and sometimes get boring.

Elements you don't like:

Sometimes in a thriller, the plot is either too confusing or unrealistic which can make it hard to watch. Also, if you get scared easily then a thriller is not the best to watch since it will leave you thinking about the creepy plot afterward.

Epic-

Camera Angles:

Common camera angles are high angles, birds-eye view, and hip level angles. This help show what is going on in the epic and develop the storyline.

Camera Movements:

Common Camera movements used in an epic film include Tracking shots, tilts, crane shots, and flash pan. These help the viewer see all the fast action of the epic

Camera Shots:

Common camera shots used in an epic film include wide shots, aerial shots, establishing shots, over the shoulder shots, and close-ups. This helps show all the actors involved in an epic as well as the characters.

Mis- En- Scene:

Costumes in an Epic can range from avatar creatures with blue feathers to warrior costumes on a strange island. Epics typically have an "out-there" plot and setting so it could have very strange costumes. Next, the lighting in an epic is normally very bright and colorful like it is outdoors. Then, acting in an epic is normally very serious and there is not too much casual conversation, typically, the characters should act very heroic. Additionally, the makeup in an epic is used when trying to create a creature like the blue in the avatar, or sometimes in a violent scene but epics don't tend to get gory. Common props in an epic are guns, spears, and swords. Lastly, common settings in an Epic are outdoor locations and areas with very specific natural terrains.

Elements of an Epic:

Epics typically focus on a heroic character. There is also normally a historical or mythical event that takes place. Additionally, there should be lavish settings and costumes, and an elevated writing style. The story normally takes place during a societal crisis or time of war/conflict.

Examples of Film in this Genre:

Common Sounds:

Epics include a wide range of sounds like ambient sound, voice-overs, diegetic/non-diegetic, and always a muscle score at some point throughout the film.

Elements you like:

It is often focused on a heroic character, so it makes the protagonist more likable. Also, it is set in a time of crisis which makes the film more interesting and it helps appeal to a wide audience.

Elements you don't like:

Epic films are usually very long, taking over 2 hours to watch. They are one of the most expensive genres to produce, and sometimes not very exciting because of the complex and fantasy-like plot.