RESEARCH PORTFOLIO Deadline October 20th

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?