Pretty in Pink - Titles

• Paramount Pictures presents

• A John Hughes production

• Pretty in Pink

• Starring Molly Ringwald

• Harry Dean Stanton

• Jon Cryer

• Annie Potts

• James Spader

• and Andrew McCarthy

• Co starring Jim Haynie

• Alexa Kenin 

• Music score composed by Michael Tone 

• Casting by Paula Herold and Maria Liroff

• Costume Designer Marilyn Vance 

• Edited by Richard Marks

• Production designer 

• John W

The boat that rocked analysis

The Boat That Rocked 
(Richard Curtis, 2007)
Produced by Working Title (+2); distribution: Universal
Budget:$50m
Box Office: $36,348,748 m (world)

Summary: In 1966, BBC radio broadcasts less than an hour of pop music a day, forcing pirate DJs to take up the slack from boats anchored outside British waters. Quentin (Bill Nighy) is the commander of such a pirate station, overseeing a host of seedy, lusty and dope-smoking DJs, including the Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Dave (Nick Frost), who makes it his personal mission to see to it that Quentin's newly arrived godson (Tom Sturridge) loses his virginity.

Idents

There are 2 company indents:

- Universal (20 seconds)

-Working Title (10 seconds)

1st shot
The first shot is an extreme long shot and also an establishing shot

Titles

There are 14 titles although some of these titles are ones that tell a story. The animated graphic on screen is tuning a radio representing radio dial and the titles are in a strip going across the screen. Each title is positioned differently- this is to avoid dullness. Also the titles have more that one colour, white and red. Each title is transitioned with a wipe edit. This was to create verisimilitude as the film was set in 1966 and now to see a wipe edit being used. In the title "The Boat That Rocked" the words "boat" and "rocked" we're in upper case whereas the words "the" and "that's" we're in lower case and half the size. 

Duration
The opening sequence is 00:03:15 

Sound, Music 

On the working title company ident there is an audio bridge starts. The sound is diegetic because the it is coming out a radio. The music ends when the last title comes on before the 1st shot.

Shot Variety
At the start the shots are fairly short. A shot reverse shot, shot revesrse shot them a cut away show has been used.

Intertextuality + Genre Signifiers 

Narrative + Exposition 

Mise-en-scene: Props, Location, Lighting
The mise-en-scene is a montage with lots of different clips. It is switching between the radio station on the boat and lots of locations around Britain of people listening to the radio live.

The key props that can be spotted is the microphone in the radio station and the radios that the people around Britain are listening to.

Transitioning to the main film 
The opening of the film is separated from the main body of the film by the title which is conventional. The edited footage in the opening links to the audio nicely as he is waving his arms to the sound of the music.

  

Prelim task with sound affects and titles

With Titles:

 

From this experience I have briefly learnt the basics of using a camera and editing. This exercise was short and simple with a little amount of effort put in. 

3. Atonement Opening Analysis

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Atonement Opening Analysis

ATONEMENT

(Joe Wright, 2007)
Produced by Working Title (+2); distribution: Universal
Budget:$30m
Box Office: $130m (world); $51m (USA), £11.5m

The titles in this opening include:

• Universal (company idents)
• Working title (company idents)
• Universal pictures presents
• In association with studio canal and relativity media
• A working title production
• Atonement       

The titles in this film are unconventionally short and there are only 6 which is strange. Usually there can be up to approximately 30 titles at the start of a movie. This however allows the user to get straight into the film. The title sequence includes 2 company dents including: universal (the distribution company) and working title which can be identified as the production company. The sequence then includes 4 titles which all follow the same format of a black background with white text which follows the conventional documentary style opening giving it a sense of importance. The universal ident lasts 20 seconds whereas the working title ident lasts 10 seconds. This creates the effect that universal is bigger and more important than working title. The opening title sequence (and idents) lasts exactly 52 seconds which again is unconventionally short in regards to film opening durations.

The title 'ATONEMENT' then appears as to be written by a type writer to signify the time period in which it was set achieving a sense of verisimilitude.

The transition into the main film sequence and into the 1st shot is a sudden frame switch which takes place at 53 seconds. This is an example of a cut shot as there is no smooth transition between the frames.

The opening of this movie includes a variety of things which can be connoted and detonated. For example at the start after the titles have played you can simply hear a type writer. This is an example of verisimilitude as it shows that the movie is set in the time of the typewriter, 1939 to be exact. The first shot is one of a big child's play house. This can be denoted to signify wealth and childhood. It also helps the setting of the first scene which is in the bedroom of a young girl. The setting of the whole opening of the movie is mainly in this one house. The camera then follows a long trail of child's toys which further signifies the fact of wealth and the abundance of non-essential play toys.

The sound of the type write keeps playing throughout the first couple of scenes. This is an example of diegetic audio which allows the reader to understand that there is actually a type writer present in the scene. the room in which the first scene is filmed is a big posh children bedroom which again signifies to the viewer the extent of the wealth that the people of the house own.

You quickly learn from the scene that the girl is writing a play which sets the story line going for the film. The girl in context to the whole film may be seen as an antagonist as she plays a part in a sinister role throughout the film. As the girl leaves the room the pace of the recurring type writer increases even though the girl has actually stopped using it. This is an example of non-diegeticaudio. This increase in pace works with the fast pace of the girl almost running through the massive estate which is her home. 

The use of camera shots varies between shot reverse shot which aids the viewer in seeing the whole conversation which is involved in the shot reverse shot, and the use of other shots such as close ups which the 1st shot is. The 1st shot is somehow ironic in the sense that it is a close up shot of a doll's house representation of the house in which the film is set. This then leads to the medium over the shoulder shot which sets the scene and introduces the main character.

Source: http://wongproductions.blogspot.co.uk

2. The Guvnors Opening Analysis

(Genre)

The Guvnors Opening Analysis

Writer: Gabe Turner 

Director: Gabe Turner 

Starring: Mark Preston, Richard Blackwood, Joelle Koissi 

Storyline

There are 2 company idents: Fullwell73 Productions and Metrodome Distribution. There are 20 titles all together including the main title of the film, these titles are white in a san serif font. As the title appears it is in a different place on the screen each time- this could have been done to avoid dullness. When the title dissapears the letters go one by one. They dissapear with smoke almost like an explosion, this could possibly have connotations with guns as they are involved in the film. For the main title it is red on a black backround which could symbolise violence. It is in a simplistic bubble font with black marks on it as if the title has worn away- this signifies decay and working class. From the start to the main transitioning to the film the duration is 3 minutes 45 seconds.

  

The Guvnors is both love letter and hate mail to the alpha male. This story's alpha is Mitch who lives buried in suburban London, having turned his back on his previous life of casual violence and intimidation as part of a legendary South East London firm. In the modern day he's the doyen of respectability and quiet confidence, but Mitch used to be a Guv'nor. This film holds a mirror up to Mitch and shows him the monster once again, buried deep in both DNA and psyche, desperate to break out and wreak havoc. ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2992524/?ref_=ttpl_pl_tt )

Analysis 

This film opening relates to relates to our film opening (Abridged) because it shows to contrasting people and lifestyles. Old and poor, rich and wealthy. Although, in our opening the two protagonists come together where as in 'The Guvnors' it is the opposite. This film is about the protagonist that a has turned his back on casual violence. Similarly, our film focuses on the working class protagonist defying his progression of drugs and violence by turning his life around.

The first shot is a medium two shot. One character is stood up smoking and the other on is sat on the sofa. At this point in terms of sound/music there is like a whistling backround noise which is a bit misterious which creates suspence. On top of this there is diologue between the two chatacters. After this scene it proceeded to a montage where the clips alternate between the older man living in a middle class lifestyle to earlier footage of his working class upbringing. 

1. Ali G Indahouse Screenshot analysis

Ali G Indahouse

(Mark Mylod, 2002)
Produced by Working Title (+2); distribution: Universal
Budget:£5m

 These shots are the opening shots of the film. We can denote that they are wearing heels and dresses is the middle of the day in a rough looking area connoting that they are located in a rougher area. There is a shot reverse shot here. There is also a head over the shoulder shot here. We can also denote that in the background behind these characters the area is rather unkept and dirty, also graffiti is clearly shown. Not much can be conoted from this brief

This shot appears after a brief confrontation between two women and a thug looking man. The camera is static but the car moving towards the camera as if making an entrance.

We can denote from this screenshot that the area is touch looking a rather dirty. This connotes where the film is set in and the area set it. this may lead onto what genre the film may be. The viewer is yet to see the central protagonist which is a sign of narrative enigma. The bright yellow car can be denoted, this may connote what kind of person the central protagonist is and also suggests there may be humour involved in the genre.

The opening montage to this is followed by a very exaggerated shoot out scene which is made comically to make the audience laugh. So straight away the genre of the film is revealed. This shoot out is also a dream, so after this opening shoot out 'Ali G' wakes up, snapping back into reality.

During the opening montage of the film, we see no character apart from extras used to create a sense of where the film is set. As the opening the montage finishes, we see actors which aren't included in the film, just the opening for a short period. We then see the main protagonist (Ali G) who enters humorously. Straight away we get a sense of the character personality.

Duration of opening = 3:10

Tools used on Final Cut 1

 I have learnt how to use a couple of tools such as the select tool and the blade tool. The select tool simply is used to select and drag items, and the blade tool is used to cut sections out of clips.

I have briefly learnt how to add a basic title to the beginning of a short film. I have learnt to edit the title and overlap titles over a clip.

Learning to add simple noises and sound affects to clips.

Adding an event.

(cmd4) on the key board to select a number of different clips.

Adding music, movies and pictures to favourites, making them easier to find and access in the future.

Ali G Indahouse - Opening montage

• Sacha Baron Cohen
• Michael Gambon
• Rhona Mitra
• Ali G Indahouse
• Martin Freeman
• Kellie Bright
• and Charles Dance
  
  The opening shots of the film include a short montage of titles with backgrounds behind them. These background are outer city areas of America (where exactly is not provided).
  
  Duration of titles including company idents = 1:20 



The font is all in upper case and is also in bubble writing. The bubble writing may signify it being a comedy. The backround to these titles is a what looks like outer city area of America. Giving the viewer a sense of where the film may be set. 

The title of the film is clearly much larger than the rest of the titles. The backround behind this title is a rough looking alley involving a crime scene of some sort. 



 The 'and' is written much smaller than the name. It is also in lower case.

Ali G Indahouse (Company Idents)

Company idents of the film:

Universal is a distributor. (20 seconds)

Studio Canal is a distributor. (15 seconds)

Working Title is the production company. (10 seconds)

Film Opening (analysis, research and evaluation)

Whilst analysing, researching and evaluating the generic conventions of the film openings, i have come to a conclusion of the main aspects i have been looking for:

For example:

• Any narrative enigma? e.g. any glimpses of the set or the protaganist of the film
• The setting of the opening scene (denotations and connotations)
• Genre signifiers
• Audio (Diegetic or Non-Diegetic)
• Exposition 
• Use of camera angles and shots (e.g extreme long shot, close up etc...)
• The length of the opening scene and how the shot crosses to another shot (e.g cross fade, shot reverse shot etc...)
• The font of the Title and subtitles that may appear. They may be a certain font to connote or signify something significant 
• Props and locations (one location or multiple locations?)
• Editing 
• Costume (may signify the set or genre of the film)
• Characters (age, gender, class etc..)
• Sound/music (is it continuous soundtrack audio bridge?)
• Intertextuality - where the meaning of one text is linked to the meaning of another text
• The use of colours to help the viewer understand the atmosphere of the scence