Monday, May 4, 2020

Audience and Institutions Practice Essay


Danielle Sidweber
Audience and Institutions Essay
To what extent is digital distribution vital to the media area you have studied?
           In relation to film, digital distribution is vital to achieve success. Digital technology is constantly evolving, and shaping our world in a new way that film was not able to achieve before. New technologies are allowing filming companies to distribute their films in ways that would not have been possible many years ago. Overall, digital distribution of film is crucial to evolving and shaping the filming industry that we know today.
          Digital distribution in the filming industry is only possible with the assistance of new technologies. According to the case study entitled, “How is Digital Technology Reshaping the Film Industry?” they provide us with 5 different technologies that are the “forefront” of the evolving industry. These 5 technologies are: Autonomous Drone Cameras, 3D Printing, 4K 3D Cameras, Algorithmic Video Editing, and Cloud Based technologies. All 5 of these new technologies are the key to success for digital distribution in the filming area of study. However, there are one of these technologies that have made a noticeable change in the industry, Cloud Based technologies. Since Cloud Based technologies make it possible for citizens to view at home, this has, “reduced in-house costs.” Therefore, many more people are able to view all of these films at home for a lower cost, giving the production company more business and attraction. This is just one of the many assistants of digital distribution in filmmaking that has changed the industry as we know it.
             One example of a film that flourished from digital distribution is Beauty and the Beast. This film was released on March 17 of 2017 in theatres, but it did not fully flourish until it hit its digital distribution phase. According to the Beauty and the Beast case study we were given, this film took 3 major steps in digital distribution. First, on June 6th of 2017 (shortly after it was first released,) this film was also released on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital HD. Then, it was released on ‘Netflix’ thereafter, finalizing with its release on ‘On Demand’ in 2017 as well. This film is well-known all around the world and this is partially due to the digital distribution that this film participated in. Placing 76th worldwide and making 1.3 billion dollars, it is clear that digital distribution was a crucial step to this film’s success. However, Beauty and the Beast is not just the only film example of benefiting from digital distribution.
             Another film in which digital distribution was vital to its success was Black Panther. Released on February 16th of 2018, this movie has become one of the most popular films in all the industry, profiting 361 million dollars in its first week of release alone. However, this success could not have been possible without the process of digital distribution. This film chose to take a different route and take a creative stance by making a website for the film. This website was created by Marvel, and it was used as a form of digital distribution to make the film more popular, and more accessible for the general public. According to the Black Panther Case study we were given, this website includes: “movie tickets, an online shop to buy merchandise from, a photo gallery, the cast, and more.” This was a unique aspect that Marvel took to produce their movie successfully, and this process was vital to the popularity that this film has gained globally.
              Another aspect to digital distribution that has greatly affected the filming industry is the major decrease in costs that comes alongside it. There are many downsides to producing a film, and one major aspect is the cost. Sometimes, this can be so detrimental to a filmmaking process that it is forced to be shut down. However, with the process of digital distribution, most of this problem disappears. Yes, there are still major costs that come with producing a film and distributing it digitally, but nothing in comparison to the normal filmmaking process. According to the case study entitled, “How Tech Has Shaped Film Making,” it states that Going digital largely means foregoing the large canisters of film that used to be synonymous with filmmaking.” Simply by eliminating the usage of large canisters of film, the overall cost of production greatly decreases, leaving the company with more profit, therefore making the film more successful overall. Additionally, this means that they complete their “film schedules with less waste,” therefore keeping the cost of production much lower than the original process. As you can see, the digital distribution process is crucial to a film's success, especially in lowering the costs.
                Overall, the filming industry can not succeed alone. With the assistance of digital distribution, a film can flourish, and become well-known globally. Just like Beauty and the Beast and Black Panther, many other movies have followed in these footsteps and have only seen major success. Many companies use this strategy for many reasons, one of which is the drastic decrease in cost. Another aspect that has really assisted the digital distribution process is the Cloud Based technologies, as mentioned before. All of these aspects to digital distribution are what really makes a film flourish, as these are vital to any film's success.

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Practice Extract 24

Danielle Sidweber
P.2 Media Practice Extract
24

The extract that I chose to watch was from the TV series, “24.” From the small extract we were given, I can conclude that this series could potentially fall under the action or mystery genre. Overall, I believe that the theme of this extract would be to not keep any secrets, as this is hidden throughout the extract. The characters are discussing the actions of others in relation to a bomb going off, and their flight to Visalia. There is conflict between the two characters, and this is shown through all aspects of the film. These aspects include camera movements and angles, the editing, the sound, and the Mis en Scene. All of these aspects are very prominent when determining the deeper meaning of the film, and how the filmmakers decided to portray emotions, conflict and more. 
  One of the main aspects when determining the meaning of this extract was within the camera angles and movements. The first shot that I extracted of the film was the close ups. A close up is a shot of a singular character of just their face, or particular body part, or item. There are many examples of close ups in this extract, however there is one in particular that I found to really advance the plot. This close up is the very first shot of the extract, of the main female character. It shows her from her shoulders and up, in which the audience can clearly determine her emotion. She looks as if she is conflicted, which is clearly shown throughout the rest of the extract. This close-up establishes her emotions for the rest of this extract. As this shot shows that she is conflicted, this is prominent when she is being interrogated by the other character and does not know what to say. This further contributes to the theme of the text; to keep no secrets. This correlates back to this close up because she is clearly hiding something, and is conflicted about whether she should share it or not. Another example of camera movements in this extract are the zoom shots. A zoom shot is when the camera zooms into one specific image, or thing. There are a few in this extract, but the main one that I picked out was the zoom shot when the man is closely interrogating the woman, and it zooms into both of their faces. As well as the close up shot, this shows further confliction in their faces. Additionally, it shows both characters' personalities. It shows how the man is very harsh and straight-foward, and how the woman is very conflicted and secretive. This contributes to the plot of keeping secrets, because it can clearly show the emotions of the characters when deciding what to say, specifically when pressure is being put on the girl. Both of these examples contribute to the plot, specifically showing the characters emotions. 
Another aspect of film that advances the plot of this extract is within the editing. One of the editing techniques of this extract that is shown is the split screen. A split screen is when there is a clear split of the screen showing two separate shots at the same time. This technique is used in this extract when the man is attacking the woman, and asking her to tell him the truth. The other half of the screen is showing multiple people of the woman's past, and this is what she is thinking as she is being attacked. This intensifies the plot of keeping secrets, because she is hiding something from him and the split screen shows  what she could potentially be hiding from this man attacking her. Another example of developmental editing in this extract is the eye-line match. An eye-line match shows a character looking at a specific thing, then it would show what they are looking at. This is shown in the extract when the characters are discussing the timing of a bomb going off and they look at the clock, then the clock is shown. This intensifies the conflict within the woman's thoughts of telling the truth. It is showing that their time is running out, further putting pressure on the characters and the plot.
Sound is also a very crucial aspect of film making in relationship to the deeper meaning. One of the main aspects of sound in this extract was the dialogue. Dialogue is simply the words of the characters being said. Clearly, this is what mainly advances the film and gives the audience a clue as to what is going on. This is one of the most important parts of every film. The dialogue in this extract accentuates all of the shots and the overall intensity of the film. For example, the characters are discussing the timing of the bomb going off, and their flight to Visalia. After they are shown discussing this, they then show the clock. This dialogue really brings out the importance of time in this film, and how it relates to the inner conflict of the characters themselves. Another aspect of sound in this extract was the diegetic sound. Diegetic sound is the natural sounds that come from the film, like a door slam, a foot stomp, or a clock tick. Even though diegetic is shown throughout this entire extract, I noticed it mostly when the clock was ticking. In the same scene mentioned previously, the characters are deciding what their next move will be, and if the girl will tell her secrets. To add additional pressure on their decision making, there is the diegetic sound of the clock ticking. Not only does this add pressure, but it shows the inner conflict of each character and it keeps the audience interested in the film. 
Along with camera angles and movements, editing and shots, Mis en Scene is crucial to the development within the film. Mis en Scene are controlled aspects of the film that can be categorized into 6 different categories: Costumes, Lighting, Actors, Makeup, Props and Setting. Even though all of these are prominent in this extract, there are 2 that specifically stood out. One of which is the lighting. The lighting in this mysterious room that they are in is very dim, further letting the audience know that something is going to happen. Dim lighting is normally an indicator of a mystery film, and it is used to intrigue the audience. This specific lighting is shown throughout the entire extract, giving off a certain vibe that intensifies the film. The other aspect of Mis en Scene that is prominent in this extract is the props. Props are certain objects that are significant in the film. There is one prop that caught my eye in the extract, and these are the papers that were being handed to the woman in the beginning. The audience does not know what these papers are, but since they are being so clearly shown, they must be important to the overall plot. There are other props in this extract, like the chair that the man threw, however the papers stood out the most. This prop adds to the mysterious aspect of the film, leaving the audience to infer what these papers are, and what they mean to the plot. Mis en Scene is a very important aspect in filmmaking, especially in relation to the overall plot. 

All of these aspects of the film mentioned above are crucial to the development of its plot. Camera angles, shots, movements, editing, sound, and Mis en Scene all intensify a film. They also engage the audience, and keep them on the edge of their seat when watching films like this one. Whether it was the shot-reverse-shot, dialogue, or even as simple as the lighting, all of these advance the deeper meaning of this extract. Overall, the theme was to show the consequences of keeping secrets, and this is shown in a very mysterious way that keeps the audience engaged. This extract was designed to show emotion and plot advancement through these filming aspects listed above.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Final Movie

Attached below is a copy of our final movie, however it remains unfinished due to this national pandemic. Due to the stay at home orders, we were not able to properly finish it.

Thursday, April 9, 2020

CCR for Movie





Attached above is my CCR for my movie, although it is split in half because it was too large of an attachment to insert combined. 

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Editing- Struggles with COVD-19

As we are informed, the virus that has been spread around is a clear struggle for our film. Schools are closed, all public gatherings are banned, and more. This is making filming and editing for my group mate and I very difficult. If schools were still opened and we did not need to follow social distancing, we would be able to continue on perfecting our movie. However, due to social distancing, we are not allowed to meet and film. We are both quarantined in our homes, which is not enabling us to film and edit. This is a major inconvenience, which we are both very upset about. We will need to find time to film soon when everything is safe. Until then, we must follow the rules and suggestions from the government. It is for this reason that we have not been able to edit or even film for our movie.
As previously stated, we are currently putting our movie production on hold. Knowing this, we must find other things and ways to work on our movie. Not only must we focus on our movie, but also our final exam for Cambridge, as it is coming up soon. We want to have everything completed soon, so that we will not need to stress and rush into our work when the deadline approaches. Next week is spring break, so we will need to make sure to work before or even after this. Oe project that we must start to work on is our CCR. Our CCR will be in the format of a video interview. This will take a long time to plan and make, so we will begin soon. This is something we can work on while quarantined in our homes, due to the virus. Below is a picture, showing us working from home, because we cannot be at school.

Re-Edit

As I have previously explained, we have done a peer-review. We took the advice given to us and we did more filming. We added new clips that we did not have before. Additionally, we made sure to include most of the different types of shots into our film. However, now we had to actually edit each clip into our already existing film. This was slightly challenging for me, but it turned out okay in the end. As previously mentioned, we filmed a pan and a tilt that needed to be included into the new film. The process of re-editing is a little more complicated than I had previously thought. Since we are using iMovie, it is much easier since we can just insert the clips from our phone into our already saved movie. However, we did run into some complications that made this a little bit more challenging.
One of the challenges that I faced were the transitions. When using iMovie, each way you choose to insert a clip restricts you to certain transitions only. I was having some trouble inserting them in the same way, so that I could use the same transitions for all of them. It was further even more complicated when I had to individually fix each clip and transition in. I could not insert them in at the same time, so I needed to insert each individually and then make sure they transition was right. This process was very tedious for me. Another complication that we faced was the music. In order to avoid any form of copyright, we made a voiceover of a song and placed it to the background of the movie. This made the whole process much easier, as we did not have to find a way to use a song without copyright. Since we only recorded a certain length of song, when we added in the new clips, it misplaced the rest of the film and sound. We figured it out, by just recording the voice over again, even though this took longer than expected. Overall, even though this re-editing process was slightly tedious; I think that it was very beneficial to the movie. Below is a screenshot from one of our new clips that we edited into our new movie.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Re-Shooting

This past weekend, we began to re-shoot. Since we did the peer review, we knew what we needed to re-shoot. Before the peer review, we thought that our film was good and that nothing needed to be fixed. We decided to take their advice and re-shoot a few scenes, and add some extras that we were missing. One thing that we were missing was a shot-reverse-shot. This is a shot that shows one person, then switches to what they are looking at or talking to, and then switches back to them. This is an important shot to include for Cambridge and we need to ensure that it is in our movie. We did create this shot when the main girl gets in the car. It shows her friend saying hi, then the main girl saying hi back, and then the other girl telling her to get in the car with them. This is just one example of our shot-reverse shot.
Something else that we fixed in our re-shoot was adding a tilt. Originally, we did not have this in our film. A tilt is when you show the surroundings from the ground moving upwards. This is also a crucial shot to include in our film for Cambridge. We were deciding where to add this in, and it was slightly challenging. I thought to add it in when we first got to the restaurant and we can show the actual diner in a tilt. My group mate suggested that we insert it in the end, but after consideration we both decided to show the diner in a tilt. Another shot we were missing was a pan. A pan is the same thing as a tilt, just from side to side and not up and down. We decided that we needed to add this in as well. We included our pan into the portion of the film when they are in the car. We created a pan of the surroundings outside of the car, to show that it is at night and we are on the way to the restaurant. Overall, re-shooting was necessary for our film, as we realized that we have many shots missing. Below is a screenshot from our new film.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Pier Review

This week, we completed the pier review process. Overall, I believe that this process is very helpful in assisting the quality of our movie. Hearing advice from another group just like us helps us to realize what we really need to fix. We were assigned a group of 3 girls, whose movie we were reviewing. We were given a piece of paper to take down guided notes about their film. Even though we were reviewing their movie, they were not reviewing ours. Another group reviewed ours, and we read about our feedback. When we reviewed the other group, we realized a few things that were wrong. Even though we wanted to not criticize their movie, we wanted to give them helpful advice so their final grade will be really good. We watched their movie a few times before beginning to edit.

One thing that we noticed that needs to be fixed within their movie was the titles. They did not have any titles yet, but they were planning on adding them. Another thing that we suggested to them was to add some back ground music, or non-diegetic sound. Their whole film consists of diegetic sound, and at some points it can be slightly too quiet. I believe that this will make their film more interesting and easier to stay intrigued. In our film, we added quiet background music to keep the audience interested. Additionally, this music adds suspense to the film. When the car honks outside, the music stops and the movie switches locations. I believe that if this group strategically added music in a format like this, it could really help keep their movie interesting. Below is a picture of their pier review sheet that we filled out for them.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Editing- Beginning of Editing

This past weekend we began our editing process. As previously mentioned, my group mate and I decided to film with our iPhones. This way it is much easier to transport the clips when we edit. Additionally, we agree that the camera quality is better than the school's cameras, leading us to choosing our iPhones over them. We are editing on iMovie, which will take time. When using iMovie, I needed to ensure that all of my clips were inserted in the right order, properly. If they were not inserted in a specific way, then I was not able to utilize the transitions I wanted. When we finished filming, we did encounter a mistake that we made. Some of the film was not facing the correct way, which messed up our editing and final product. We then needed to re-shoot these certain clips.

Besides this mistake that we made, I did not really encounter many other errors when editing. My main challenge that I faced when editing was the creativity of the movie. I do not want to just insert a lot of clips together and have that be our final product. I envision for our movie to be interesting, innovating, inspiring and creative. In order to achieve this, I needed to rearrange, add, delete, and edit some things in our film. For example, I began the movie with an extreme close-up of the girl's eyes. This was too boring so I made it black and white. Also, I added some sound effects, like a text message sound, or the sound of keys, or even the turning of the lock on the door. We also made sure to include all of our titles in the correct and proper order. We are now preparing to evaluate our pier-editing session and listen to the feedback that we were given. Below is a picture of how far we have gotten in our editing process so far.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Filming- Successfully Filmed

Yesterday, my group mate and I finally begun our filming process. Even though it took a few attempts, we got the final product that we had intended to. We changed a few things from last time, when our film did not turn out as planned. We filmed during the day, and the lighting was a lot better. Everything was visible and the film was not blurry. The lighting from outside accompanied the artificial lighting from the inside, which created good ambiance for the beginning of our film. It also was not raining this time. This helped our film a lot because there was no background sound that was distracting to the final product. So far, we have only filmed our first scene. We plan on separating the filming process into separate days. This way the film is quality and we are not rushed each time we film.
When I first arrived to my group mate’s house, we sat down and decided what we will film and how we will do it. We agreed that we would only film the first scene, so we can film properly and not rushed. We also decided when we would film next, which will be this upcoming weekend. The first clip that we filmed was her looking in the mirror and putting on makeup. This is what we had originally planned out in our script and it turned out the way we had planned. We then filmed her picking out her outfit and making sure it looked good. This will then continue into the next scene, where she will finish getting ready and then leave the house. This process will be long, but as long as we take our time it will turn out right. We are content with the product so far, as it has turned out much better than the first time. In a few days, we will begin to edit. Below is a screenshot from a clip that we filmed yesterday.

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Filming- Attempt to Film

This past weekend, we begun our filming process. First of all, we have decided that we will not be checking out a camera from our media classroom. We agree that the iPhone is both easier to manipulate with, and has much better quality than the cameras provided to us by the school. Because we will be using our iPhones to film, we are also going to be using iMovie to film. An alternative option to this would be to use Pinnacle studios as our editing platform. This is too complicated for both my partner and I, and it is much easier to edit on our phones. Our plan for this weekend was to begin filming the first and second scene of our movie. I went to my group mate's house to begin the filming process. We chose to begin filming at her house because the first scene is created in a room, which makes most sense to start filming in a house. This process did not go as planed.
At first, both my group mate and I agreed that this was the perfect idea and everything would work out. However, we faced a few obstacles. Our first was the lighting since we began to film at night, the lighting inside her room was not ideal. Even with the lights on, the film appeared fuzzy, and definitely not the best quality we could have gotten. We intend to fix this by filming during the daytime instead. Another obstacle that we faced were the background noises. As her family was cooking dinner in the kitchen, we both found it very difficult to make sure these noses were not heard. Next time, we will make sure that no other loud activities will be going on in the house. Overall, the film that we created did not go as planned, so we decided to delete this film and complete restart. We will begin this process over again next weekend, or after-school during the week. Below is a picture of our iMovie ready to edit our film.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Filming- Did Not Get to Film

This past weekend, we planned to begin our filming journey. We were supposed to film the first 1-2 scenes of our movie. However, this did not go exactly as planned. There were multiple obstacles in our way of filming. One of our main challenges was the rain. Since we are in Florida, the rain is very unpredictable and constant. Even though our first 1-2 scenes are indoors, the rain makes transportation very challenging. It is difficult to ensure that all of our participants can safely arrive to our filming destination. We did not want to risk any chance where safety is a concern, so we decided it was not a good weekend to begin filming. The rain would also create unnecessary background noises to our film. We did not plan on having this dietetic sound in our film, which is also another reason that we could not film this weekend.
Another obstacle in our way of filming was the 4-day weekend. Since it was a 4-day weekend, my group mate took the opportunity to visit family out of town. Potentially, we could film the first few scenes alone. However, we really would rather not do this. Since it's the beginning of the film, we want to work together and film everything as a group. This way we both have the same visions for the rest of the film and we can create it together. Overall, it was a very complicated weekend and it was not possible to film. We are planning on filming sometime this week or next weekend. Even though we have not begun the filming process yet, we are still blogging and will begin our filming process very soon. Below is a picture of us working on our blogs.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Planning- Story Boarding





Displayed above is our storyboard template. This portrays what is going to happen every scene. It is split up into 6 seconds for every little box on the paper. There are also 6 boxes per paper. There is a small picture and description for what happens exactly in each scene.  Storyboarding is very helpful because it forces us to know what is happening each second in the film. We are planning on following this template as much as we can. Nothing should effect our filming too much so we are counting on this. This also helps us a lot with hitting the right time for the video. Now that we have all our information we will need to start filming soon.

Monday, February 10, 2020

Planning- Location, Health and Safety, Participants and Schedule




Attached above is our planning Google slide. Incorporated is the exact details that we need for our film. For example, we wrote about the filming location and even included pictures. While filming, we are involving many of our friends as participants. This will be a huge help because we need more actors and actresses than just my group member and I. Having this information will assist us in being prepared prior to filming. This will further save us a lot of time. We are planning to film throughout the period of two weeks. This gives enough time to make changes and to make sure everything is perfect like we planned. By the end of March, filming should be done and editing will begin.

Planning- Title Design





Attached above is our title design Google Slide. Included is all of the different fonts and titles used in the film. We will be using the font, "Baskerville Old Face." The reason for this font choice is that it will give off a mysterious vibe. This will set the tone for the film and make it more interesting. My group member and I would like to keep the font consistent, because we do not want it to look messy. An example of helping the title or font stick our would be using a black screen with white text. This grabs the attention of the audience. The main title will be "Girls Night Out." This was selected because it does not give away the film, but still gives the audience a little clue of what this film is about.





Thursday, February 6, 2020

Planning- Sound Script




Attached above is our sound script. Included are multiple slides explaining and planning the sound in our scenes. There are diegetic and non-diegetic sounds listed, as well as every other music or sound that we intend to include. We are focusing on strictly following this plan. We hope to keep it consistent with this, aiming for 90% similarity. The sound is broken up into each scene, as each scene has different sounds. We created this document so assist us with filming, as we have already created our shooting script. We decided to divide up our shooting script into sound and planning, instead of creating it all together. Each sound that we intend to use is listed, including sounds like footsteps, or a car door closing, or the sound of a car moving. Since we do not know exactly what music we are including yet, it is hard to state what music we intend to use so this is just a basic idea of what we will use. All of the rest of our sounds are exactly what will be happening in the movie.

Planning- Shooting Script





This is a shooting script about what is shown in each scene. Each scene is portrayed on a different slide. Included in the document are the different camera angles, lighting and setting. We went into as much detail as possible. The purpose of this google slide is to explain exactly what is going to happen during every scene. Instead of putting our shooting and sound scripts together, we decided to divide them up. We are planning on following this script as throughly as we can. There will most likely be a 90% similarity between the script and the film. Things might change as to when the diner will be open and if everyone is able to get together to film. Following this script will help us be prepared to film.

Friday, January 31, 2020

Title Research (Dark)

How may titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
There are 9 titles displayed during the opening sequences to the film.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The images that are prioritized during the opening sequence are images that depict certain aspects of the film. There are mainly images of hands and eyes in a kaleidoscope view.
What connotations do the images carry?
These images all carry an ominous connotation, as these hands and eyes are clearly valuable evidence to the mystery in the film. Additionally, the fact that they are  shown with the kaleidoscope effect might be crucial to the plot as well.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The genre is reinforced through the actual images themselves, their effects, and the song that is placed in the titles. These images of hands and eyes are being repeated throughout the titles, reinforcing the key aspects to the mystery. The effect placed on them must have a significant meaning as well, as it is enforced on every image in the opening titles. Additionally, the music adds an extra effect of curiosity that engages the reader even more.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The film establishes an enigma through mainly the effect. Any romance movie, comedy movie, or any other movie besides mystery would not generally use this effect. The kaleidoscope effect is placed to purposefully confuse the readers about the plot of the mystery, and furthermore obtaining a specific meaning within the film itself.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
For this film specifically, the director is aiming for the audience to have an emotional appeal to these titles, and more specifically the film itself. The images of hands and eyes in creepy surroundings shown with an effect is purposefully designed to engage the audience in this film, by having them wonder why these images are so important.
How has technology been used effectively?
Technology is being used effectively through the connection of the music and the effects of these titles. Between the mysterious music and the confusing effect of the images, this effectively achieves the curiosity of a mystery film.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Title Research (Lost Highway)

How may titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
There are 9 titles displayed during the opening sequences to the film.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The images that are prioritized during the opening sequence are images of a single road in the dark. This is sown clearly in relation to the title, "Lost Highway", as it is the only highway shown in the picture.
What connotations do the images carry?
These images all carry a mysterious connotation, because the audience doesn't know what this road symbolizes, or what is going to happen.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The genre is reinforced through the simplicity and question depicted within these images. All the director shows is this single highway from the beginning, leading the audience to be curious about what this highway is all about.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
Just from looking at the first few titles, you can tell that this film is a mystery solely from the single image that is being shown. A lone highway with no other context would leads the audience to believe that they are expected to make a n inference about what will happen, which is the goal within mystery movies.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
For this film specifically, the directer uses the strategy of simplicity. These titles are so simple, leaving the audience curious as to what will happen. The audience will be curious and they will be drawn into the significance of this road.
How has technology been used effectively?
Technology is being used effectively through the connection of the highway and the sound that corresponds with it. The sound that is playing is the sound of a car driving down the highway, while the highway is being shown. This makes the audience feel as if they are driving on his lonely, mysterious highway.

Title Research (Casino Royal)

How may titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
There are 9 titles displayed during the opening sequences to the film.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
Since the movie is created around a casino and the dilemmas that occur there, the images that are prioritized are all different elements to a royal casino. Even the font that is used is somewhat royal, against relating back to the title, "Casino Royale."
What connotations do the images carry?
These images all carry a mysterious connotation, relating to the theme of the movie. For example, at one point in the titles, they show an image of eyes looking around inside of the royal font. This is typically an element used in mystery movies, as these eyes show that something myserteous is about to happen.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The genre is mainly shown through the sound, and font of the titles. The sound that is placed behind the titles is very mysterious, and a sound that you typically would not expect to hear during a comedy, or a romance film, for example. Additionally, the font is very appropriate to the title of the movie.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
Just from looking at the first few titles, you can tell that this film is ominous from the font, the colored images and more. It also does not give the entire plot away, leaving the audience interested in what is going to occur later in the film.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
For this film specifically, the author really focuses on the visual appeal of the titles. He adds color to every image, even if it is just eyes that are looking around. This gives an eerie aspects that appeals to all audiences.
How has technology been used effectively?
Technology is being used effectively through the font. Not only is the font in royal print, but there are also images that are moving and coming out of the font at the same time. They are using special effects to enhance the visual appeal of the titles.