Week 2: Brainstorming
Film Notes
Rise
The camera placed in the trunk of the car was a really creative place to take a camera shot. The opening also included some other innovative camera shots, including the bird's eye shot of the boy walking and dropping his things in the grass. It was cool to hear the music get intense as the boy shot goals and then fade when a separate person began talking, but the shifts in the music level did seem a bit too dramatic at some points. However, I thought the music choice fit for this opening scene because it created a dramatic tone.
Offline
I will admit at first I was confused at what was happening in the film. At first, I did not recognize that it was the same girl in both versions of the story, but once I did, the music seemed to suit the drama film. I could see that the makers on the film were attempting to create an effect of contrast by depicting the girl in both the cage and her daily life at what appears to be the same time.
Dear Lover
The narrator's voice has music behind it, which is effective in setting the mood of the film. The film opening ends in a way in which it is essential in setting up the plot of the story and intriguing the viewers. This is something the other openings failed to do. It was also helpful of the director to include establishing shots at the beginning of the opening scenes in order for the viewer to fully comprehend the setting and emotions/point of view of the main character.
Dare to Thrill
There does not appear to be any explanation for the things that happen in this opening scene, which makes it somewhat confusing to watch. On the other hand, when the children go into the car and start it, the camera shots make the scene look more fascinating and they really draw the audience in. I felt that the film creators paired music that fit well with the scene and what was going on. Although the opening was filled with action, the ending seemed to be all over the place with no specific plan or purpose in sight.
Always Watching
Although this opening was inventive, the audience was able to quickly notice that it was scripted and that the actors were not fully comfortable with their lines. This made the scene appear fabricated and less interesting. I felt that the music chosen for the opening was far too cliche to be used in a horror film opening. The voices of the characters were too low compared to the music playing. I believe the filmmakers chose to include too much information about the plot and overall story of the film in the opening scene, which did not leave much to be discovered in the rest of the film. The filmmakers could have created more of an interesting opening by implementing more creative and innovative thinking.
The Blue Boar
The film opening was quite interesting and sort of weird. The opening was effective in building a plot for the main character to break into song. The type of song sung definitely followed the setting of the opening because both of them had a very positive and bright tone. One thing that could be relevant at a later point of the film is the symbolism shown at the end of the opening that references the film's title.
The Scene
The feelings of the girl were effectively depicted using creative sounds at the start of the opening. There was an obvious shift in the film's tone when the opening transitioned to a setting back in time, which showed the difference in the girl over a short period. The way the film opening was set up made it effective in establishing a structure for the rest of the film.
White Coat
Personally, I feel that the start of the opening really drew in the audience with the usage of sound and music. The combination of these effects worked extremely well. There were also quite a few shots that were well done, including the shots of the boy in the chair, which created a clear mood. The shots combined with the music seemed to flow and work well together in order to intrigue the audience.
Stalker
This opening seen was a bit boring and repetitive. Overall, the opening felt unimportant as many of the shots of the actress waking up and brushing her hair did not need to be included. The opening could have used better sound effects and camera shots to be successful because the ones originally included in the film did not appear realistic.
Nostalgia
In this opening there did not appear to be any real plot setup although the music and shots originally seemed to work together to establish a mood for the film. There was no cohesive flow established as the opening of the film was not effective in creating one. Instead, the opening consisted of shots of only a women and a painting strung together, which did not help in establishing the background of the film.
Lost and Found
This opening of the film included animation that was innovative and drew the audience in. The opening became very interesting as the filmmakers incorporated editing techniques and music, which happened to work well together. Although the filmmakers failed to create a specific plot for the film as a whole, other elements included in the opening did establish a good enough setting and background.
Summary
These brainstorming sessions led me to believe that the most important element when creating a film opening is camera shots. I found the openings with the more creative camera shots and angles were the most interesting to me, and I tended to wish that there was more to watch. After watching the openings, I realized that I need to be cautious when it comes to including music in an opening because I need to make sure the music fits into the scene and does not overshadow any other parts of the film. Most of the better openings successfully established a problem or issue that was meant to be solved throughout the film.
Rise
The camera placed in the trunk of the car was a really creative place to take a camera shot. The opening also included some other innovative camera shots, including the bird's eye shot of the boy walking and dropping his things in the grass. It was cool to hear the music get intense as the boy shot goals and then fade when a separate person began talking, but the shifts in the music level did seem a bit too dramatic at some points. However, I thought the music choice fit for this opening scene because it created a dramatic tone.
Offline
I will admit at first I was confused at what was happening in the film. At first, I did not recognize that it was the same girl in both versions of the story, but once I did, the music seemed to suit the drama film. I could see that the makers on the film were attempting to create an effect of contrast by depicting the girl in both the cage and her daily life at what appears to be the same time.
Dear Lover
The narrator's voice has music behind it, which is effective in setting the mood of the film. The film opening ends in a way in which it is essential in setting up the plot of the story and intriguing the viewers. This is something the other openings failed to do. It was also helpful of the director to include establishing shots at the beginning of the opening scenes in order for the viewer to fully comprehend the setting and emotions/point of view of the main character.
Dare to Thrill
There does not appear to be any explanation for the things that happen in this opening scene, which makes it somewhat confusing to watch. On the other hand, when the children go into the car and start it, the camera shots make the scene look more fascinating and they really draw the audience in. I felt that the film creators paired music that fit well with the scene and what was going on. Although the opening was filled with action, the ending seemed to be all over the place with no specific plan or purpose in sight.
Always Watching
Although this opening was inventive, the audience was able to quickly notice that it was scripted and that the actors were not fully comfortable with their lines. This made the scene appear fabricated and less interesting. I felt that the music chosen for the opening was far too cliche to be used in a horror film opening. The voices of the characters were too low compared to the music playing. I believe the filmmakers chose to include too much information about the plot and overall story of the film in the opening scene, which did not leave much to be discovered in the rest of the film. The filmmakers could have created more of an interesting opening by implementing more creative and innovative thinking.
The Blue Boar
The film opening was quite interesting and sort of weird. The opening was effective in building a plot for the main character to break into song. The type of song sung definitely followed the setting of the opening because both of them had a very positive and bright tone. One thing that could be relevant at a later point of the film is the symbolism shown at the end of the opening that references the film's title.
The Scene
The feelings of the girl were effectively depicted using creative sounds at the start of the opening. There was an obvious shift in the film's tone when the opening transitioned to a setting back in time, which showed the difference in the girl over a short period. The way the film opening was set up made it effective in establishing a structure for the rest of the film.
White Coat
Personally, I feel that the start of the opening really drew in the audience with the usage of sound and music. The combination of these effects worked extremely well. There were also quite a few shots that were well done, including the shots of the boy in the chair, which created a clear mood. The shots combined with the music seemed to flow and work well together in order to intrigue the audience.
Stalker
This opening seen was a bit boring and repetitive. Overall, the opening felt unimportant as many of the shots of the actress waking up and brushing her hair did not need to be included. The opening could have used better sound effects and camera shots to be successful because the ones originally included in the film did not appear realistic.
Nostalgia
In this opening there did not appear to be any real plot setup although the music and shots originally seemed to work together to establish a mood for the film. There was no cohesive flow established as the opening of the film was not effective in creating one. Instead, the opening consisted of shots of only a women and a painting strung together, which did not help in establishing the background of the film.
Lost and Found
This opening of the film included animation that was innovative and drew the audience in. The opening became very interesting as the filmmakers incorporated editing techniques and music, which happened to work well together. Although the filmmakers failed to create a specific plot for the film as a whole, other elements included in the opening did establish a good enough setting and background.
Summary
These brainstorming sessions led me to believe that the most important element when creating a film opening is camera shots. I found the openings with the more creative camera shots and angles were the most interesting to me, and I tended to wish that there was more to watch. After watching the openings, I realized that I need to be cautious when it comes to including music in an opening because I need to make sure the music fits into the scene and does not overshadow any other parts of the film. Most of the better openings successfully established a problem or issue that was meant to be solved throughout the film.
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