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.

Title Research (Murder By Death)

How may titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
There are 9 titles;es displayed during the opening sequences to the film. These titles include a combination of the major company in which the movie is being created from, the director, the writer, the main characters, copyrights and more.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The images prioritized in the opening scene are main characters, and the main props shown in the film.
What connotations do the images carry?
These images are depicting the main pieces of evidence, and main characters in the movie. During a mystery movie, any piece of evidence is important, wether it is the people or props.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The genre is portrayed through the music. This music is mysterious and ominous, leading the audience4 to believe that something is going to happen soon. The music is crucial in the mystery genre, because it adds to the effect of the audience not knowing what is going to happen.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
Right from the beginning of the opening titles, I can sense the feel of the mystery genre between the music and the pictures itself. For example, it shows a chest. This chest is a prop in the movie that is crucial to solving the mystery.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
The strategy that is being used to ensure that the right audience is being appealed is that they are not giving the plot of the movie right away. This is effective in interesting the audience to become mentally involved with the movie and become curious of what will happen. For example, they do not give away what will happen or who committed the crime. Instead, the just include certain aspects of the plot, like the chest, or the main characters.
How has technology been used effectively?
Technology is being used effectively through the sound, pictures and transitions between them. Between every image, there is a smooth transition between every picture, showing proper use of technology. Additionally, they include mysterious sound to correspond with the genre, and images that directly correspond as well.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Title Research www.watchthetitles.com

Previously, we conducted research on a website called www.artofthetitle.com and we learned the basics of creating a title sequence; specifically for the mystery genre. Before starting our own, we need to conduct more research first. Once again, we typed into google "title sequences" and a different website appeared, which we think can be useful to enhance our current knowledge. This website is called www.watchthetitles.com. Once we arrived at the website, we searched mystery again. However, this time no results came up. Therefore, we clicked on the movies section, and investigated how these titles were formatted. These results were very similar to the last website's. I realized that it is crucial to have all of our information together beforehand. This will make this process much easier, so that we can have all of our information together before we begin to format properly. If we don't, then it will make the process much more difficult and we might even need to restart multiple times to ensure that everything is included properly. Just as the other website stated as well, we will need to put our titles in front of different pictures. These pictures will be relevant to our mystery. Specifically, certain elements that contribute to the plot like characters, props and more. After conducting this research, we have a much better understanding of what we need to do now.

Title Research www.artofthetitle.com

To begin our title research, we came across this website called www.artofthetitle.com. First, we googled title sequences, and we arrived at this website. This website is designed to explain to the readers the most popular title sequences, and how they are formatted. We researched this in the first place so we know how to properly create a title sequence for our movie. Currently, both of us do not know how to format this, so this website will assist with this. From exploring this website, I learned many things. Once we arrived at this website, we immediately typed into the search bar, "mystery." In order how to learn how to create a title sequence, we need to research information directly relating to our genre first. I arrived at an article that provides an example of a title sequence from a mystery movie entitled, "Murder by Death." This article shows us how to correctly format a title sequence for a mystery movie, just like this one. I observed that each title was placed in front of a picture relating to the movie. These pictures are all different, including different clues that are relevant to this movie. If we follow these instructions, our title sequence will be properly formatted. From this website, we have a better idea of ow to create our own title sequence, for this specific genre. However, we need to be sure to include all titles necessary, or else it will not be correct.

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Mystery Film Analyzing- Game Night

The movie Game night recently came out in 2018. The setting first takes place in a bar. A group of friends are playing a game against each other. This women and men find each other while playing the game and they fall in love. Lots of medium shots are incorporated into the movie. Then Max and Annie's weekly game night gets switches up one night. That's when Max's brother Brooks arranges a murder mystery party. This includes fake thugs and federal agents. So when Brooks gets kidnapped, it's all supposed to be part of the game. As the competitors set out to solve the case, they start to learn that neither the game nor Brooks know what is about to happen.
   The friends soon find themselves confused and scared. Each twist leads to another unexpected turn over the course of one night. This is when the setting changes to the house. The actors are all dressed in normal clothes. I noticed some pan and over the shoulder shots. Something I liked about the movie is that it was also funny. Something I didn't like to much was it wasn't too much mystery. The actors were pretty good. A huge prop would be the board games. The editing was clear with good transitions.
  This simple game turns into much more than everyone expected. I like that it took me by surprise. Just like many films there was mediums and medium close ups. the movie ends with Them playing Pictionary. Annie uses it to announce to Max that she is pregnant. The two of them embrace while their friends congratulate them. While all this is happening there is two guys in masks with guns preparing to go into the house. It keeps you guessing. In my opinion it was a good movie and I enjoyed it. The lighting varied from being inside with artificial lights to being outside in daylight. For the most part the setting didn't change to much. This movie will definitely help me and my group member with ideas while making our video.

Mystery Film Analyzing- Us

    This movie falls into the mystery/thriller category. The beginning of the movie starts of with a flashback to 1986. It first begins with an establishing shot, which then leads into a few panning shots which show a family at a festival with rides. The setting takes place at this amusement park. It also night time so the lighting is dark. The little girl wonders away from her parents and she gets lost. She walks around exploring but that's when it starts to get creepy. This lighting is still normal lighting, as it is dark outside. She goes into this hall of mirrors and sees a replica of herself. After this small beginning it goes back to present day. This little girl is grown up now with a husband and kids.
    Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, Adelaide grows increasingly concerned that something bad is going to happen. Everyone is dressed in normal clothing. This includes shorts and t-shirts. I noticed many tracking shots and medium shots. there was also some eye level shots. This family decides to take a trip to the same beach where the assessment park is.Her worst fears soon become a reality when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilson into a fight for survival. The masked strangers look identical to the family. The bad family wont stop until they get what they want. The actors did an amazing job in my opinion.

    They genuinely looked scared which really made it seem like they weren't acting. The sound was very precise and detailed. P.O.V shots were included because it helped the watchers see what the actors were doing. A suspenseful story and marvelous cast I would say. I really think there was so much talent between the actors because you could really see the pain in there eyes. I enjoyed that there was lots of suspense during the movie. The close up shots made all the details clear.The costumes also consisted of the Bad family wearing red jumpsuits. While the Regular family was dressed in normal clothing. I believe the movie was directed very well and the actors were amazing.