RESEARCH PORTFOLIO
(Minimum 600
words)
You
now need to analyse two
contemporary film openings (from the
same genre you intend to use for your opening sequence) for your RESEARCH
PORTFOLIO. Using PLENTY of screenshots (where possible) and include the following
to your analysis:
Institutional
factors
Production
For
this section you should research when and for how long the film was in
production. It is important to explore each stage of production (including pre
and post). You could also explore which locations and/or studios were used
during the making of the film. Do not forget to mention aspects of the post
production stage as the editing of the film will have taken place in a separate
studio. To enhance the analysis you could also explore the key personnel
involved with the production.
Funding
You
should explore which companies were involved in the funding of the production
and what the total sum of the production was. It is also interesting to compare
this sum with the income that the film made at the box office.
Distribution
Research
the distribution company/ies involved in bringing this product to the masses,
both nationally and internationally. You could also look at how it was
distributed to the UK audience (using independent vs mainstream/multiplex cinemas).
Audience and
Audience Appeals
Who
are the target audience for these two films and how have you come to that
conclusion. For this section you could look at how the chosen films were
accepted by the audience, e.g. compare box office figures with how critically
acclaimed the films are (awards the film has been nominated for and/or won).
You could also look at professional review scores online and general popularity
figures to support your analysis.
Genre
Conventions
Most genres have elements that the audience expects
as they have been used many times in previous films from their genre/subgenre.
The genre conventions of a film in the horror genre are either to
a dark isolated setting e.g. forest/abandoned building and/or tense building
music. Use screen shots to show a range of genre conventions present in the
extract. Ensure you cover a range of genre conventions covered e.g. portrayal
of characters, environment and music used, framing techniques, editing techniques
etc… If you are unsure which conventions are associated with your chosen film
genre, there is something called Google which you can use…
Narrative and
form and style (use of technical and symbolic codes)
In this
section of the analysis it is important to use as many screenshots as possible. Explore which framing (shots, angles and
movement) and composition (rule of thirds or depth of field) techniques are
used in the sequence and to which effect? Try to give three examples from each
film. Analyse how the narrative works in the sequence, i.e. in what way is
there continuity? What clues do we get from the opening sequence of film’s
story? Are there any examples of match on
action, shot/reverse shot or the 180-degree rule? If so, in which capacity?
The text credits obviously play an important role in the sequence. Explore and
show how they are introduced and in which order? Also comment on font
style/colour used and positioning in the screen.
Issues of
Representation
Which
characters are we introduced to in the sequence and in which way? If there are
no characters present, what do we see instead and why? What are your first impressions of the
characters introduced (general appearance and personality)? How do they speak
to the audience? Which stereotypes would you use to try to describe them? How is the
location of the sequence represented? What are your first thoughts on the
environment? What association do you get?
