Monday, 29 December 2014
Mood Board
Despite having quite a clear idea in my head about what I want for my final piece, I wanted to create a mood board to try and capture and collect images from other films and pictures that truly encapsulate my idea before I put anything down on paper. I decided to make a Pinterest account; I used Pinterest for my GCSE Art Final Piece and I found it to be an efficient and effective way of sparking ideas and incorporating different elements into my own piece. I've created a pin board called 'AS Media Final Piece' and within it, I have 'pinned' pictures of other horror and thriller movie posters (such as The Shining, Taken, The Purge, Se7en etc), as well as typical 'horror' imagery that I found on the site. My idea at the moment is roughly about a girl who's missing and her best friend is trying to find her; this is where the thriller elements are based. Then in the first scene, we see the girl lying on the floor of what appears to be a garage, covered in blood and we discover that she's been kidnapped and that her kidnapper has cut her open - revealed by fresh wounds on her abdomen - for unknown purposes (graphic, I know!). This is where most of the horror elements come in. It's important for me to get the balance right and that's also why I created the mood board so I could balance images from each genre and place them next to each other, combine different aspects and elements and see what works.
Sunday, 28 December 2014
Analysis of 'The Shining' title sequence
'The Shining' is a 1980 British-American psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It stars Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd and Scatman Crothers. The film is based on Steven King's novel of the same name. It was produced by The Producer Circle, Company, Peregrine Productions and Hawk Films and it was distributed by Warner Bros.
The sequence starts with the Warner Bros. logo which, like the other films I've analysed, sticks to the conventions of title sequences. We then see a establishing shot moving over a clear lake to an isolated piece of land in the middle; the theme music for The Shining also starts here. The music paired with the establishing shots of the landscape immediately signify to the audience that the atmosphere is foreboding and omnious and that, despite the peaceful exterior, the environment they're in holds sinister undertones. Furthermore the shot of the lone piece of land in the middle of a clear unmoving lake emphasises how isolated this area actually is; the lake is completely still and there are no people, houses or cars in sight in this shot. This makes the audience feel tense and unnerved as the camera slowly pans across the completely abandoned landscape.
We then see a single yellow car driving along a road surrounded by trees; this is the first sign of life the audience sees and that suggests that the protagonists are within the car. It is revealed later in the title sequence that they are driving up to the hotel however in this shot, they appear to just be driving. This use of narrative enigma further heightens the sense of isolation and tension as it forces the audience to ask questions and think 'why is this happening? Where are they going?'.
In the next few shots, the camera is following the same yellow car - this further emphasises that either the car itself or the characters in the car are of some significance - and the deep, slow, droning music continues in the background. The credits themselves start within these shots; the bright blue font matches the simplicity of the landscape the yellow car is driving through. The lack of fancy effects and intricate camera shots or font actually increases the tension as the audience is sat waiting for something to happen and they are presented with many questions that don't get answered immediately.
At one point in the title sequence, we see another car driving away from wherever the yellow car is heading; this makes the audience wonder what they're driving away from and adds to the ominous atmosphere that the camera-work and music already creates.
The landscape gradually changes to show that the car is driving up some form of hilly, mountain area and then suddenly in one of the penultimate shots, the landscape is shown to have snow on it. This suggests that they are very high up as further down, there was no snow - this just adds to how isolated the destination of this yellow car is. We later find out that the isolated nature of the hotel is one of the main factors that adds to the horror in the film.
We then see an establishing shot that pans over a large, ominous looking building - this suggests that this is the place the yellow car is heading to - whilst the music continues to play.
The audience for this film would probably be 25-45 years old as I believe the simplistic yet sophisticated nature of the title sequence would appeal mostly to that age group rather than a very young or very old demographic.
The sequence starts with the Warner Bros. logo which, like the other films I've analysed, sticks to the conventions of title sequences. We then see a establishing shot moving over a clear lake to an isolated piece of land in the middle; the theme music for The Shining also starts here. The music paired with the establishing shots of the landscape immediately signify to the audience that the atmosphere is foreboding and omnious and that, despite the peaceful exterior, the environment they're in holds sinister undertones. Furthermore the shot of the lone piece of land in the middle of a clear unmoving lake emphasises how isolated this area actually is; the lake is completely still and there are no people, houses or cars in sight in this shot. This makes the audience feel tense and unnerved as the camera slowly pans across the completely abandoned landscape.
We then see a single yellow car driving along a road surrounded by trees; this is the first sign of life the audience sees and that suggests that the protagonists are within the car. It is revealed later in the title sequence that they are driving up to the hotel however in this shot, they appear to just be driving. This use of narrative enigma further heightens the sense of isolation and tension as it forces the audience to ask questions and think 'why is this happening? Where are they going?'.
In the next few shots, the camera is following the same yellow car - this further emphasises that either the car itself or the characters in the car are of some significance - and the deep, slow, droning music continues in the background. The credits themselves start within these shots; the bright blue font matches the simplicity of the landscape the yellow car is driving through. The lack of fancy effects and intricate camera shots or font actually increases the tension as the audience is sat waiting for something to happen and they are presented with many questions that don't get answered immediately.
At one point in the title sequence, we see another car driving away from wherever the yellow car is heading; this makes the audience wonder what they're driving away from and adds to the ominous atmosphere that the camera-work and music already creates.
The landscape gradually changes to show that the car is driving up some form of hilly, mountain area and then suddenly in one of the penultimate shots, the landscape is shown to have snow on it. This suggests that they are very high up as further down, there was no snow - this just adds to how isolated the destination of this yellow car is. We later find out that the isolated nature of the hotel is one of the main factors that adds to the horror in the film.
We then see an establishing shot that pans over a large, ominous looking building - this suggests that this is the place the yellow car is heading to - whilst the music continues to play.
The audience for this film would probably be 25-45 years old as I believe the simplistic yet sophisticated nature of the title sequence would appeal mostly to that age group rather than a very young or very old demographic.
Friday, 26 December 2014
Analysis of 'Psycho' title sequence
'Psycho' is a 1960 American psychological thriller-horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It stars Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Janet Leigh. It is widely considered one of the most revolutionary films of all time and contains one of the most infamous scenes ever filmed. It was produced by Shamely Productions and distributed by Paramount Pictures.
The sequence starts initially with a black and white image of the Paramount logo, establishing the distribution company and sticking to the conventions of a normal title sequence. Then the infamous 'Psycho' theme music starts playing; the sharp screeching notes of the violins immediately creates significant tension for the audience and establishes the sinister atmosphere immediatly. We then see shots of long vertical lines going across the screen and then retracting to reveal Alfred Hitchcock's name - this technique is used to reveal all members of the cast and crew. The simplistic nature of the shots in the title sequence itself paired with the intricate music in the background balances out perfectly to create a very tense and foreboding atmosphere with the sense that something could jump out at you at any moment (although that wasn't really Hitchcock's style).
The title is then pieced together for us however the title jerks suddenly so it becomes slightly distorted and not in line; this could connote a sense of mental instability. The word 'psycho' is short for 'psychopath' or 'psychopathic' which means somebody who has an inability to function normally regarding social skills or somebody with an inability to love so the fact that the titles are contorted could be a physical representation of a psychopath's mind. This also happens at the end of the sequence when they show Alfred Hitchcock's name again.
The music increases in volume and crescendos several times throughout the title sequence whilst the title sequence shots themselves remain reasonably similar and follow the same concept of the vertical lines revealing cast and crew member's names throughout the entire sequence.
The vertical lines contrast against the name of the film itself as they are all arranged neatly and orderly whereas a psychopath is generally considered to be messed up and their minds don't function in the way that they should; their reality is contorted in comparison to ours.
Furthermore the lines are revealing the names of the cast and crew, this could link to the films main character as initially he seems relatively normal but then it is revealed later in the film that he is actually mentally unwell and developed a split personality between himself and his mother. The lines revealing the names could represent how Norman Bates' true colours are revealed at the end of the film.
I believe that the audience for this film would be 25-45 year old males as it is a very sophisticated horror/thriller; I don't believe the topic of mental health would be well-received or understood by the younger generation.
Admittedly I found this particular title sequence quite hard to analyse as there wasn't any physical camera shots and there was no change of direction style-wise.
The sequence starts initially with a black and white image of the Paramount logo, establishing the distribution company and sticking to the conventions of a normal title sequence. Then the infamous 'Psycho' theme music starts playing; the sharp screeching notes of the violins immediately creates significant tension for the audience and establishes the sinister atmosphere immediatly. We then see shots of long vertical lines going across the screen and then retracting to reveal Alfred Hitchcock's name - this technique is used to reveal all members of the cast and crew. The simplistic nature of the shots in the title sequence itself paired with the intricate music in the background balances out perfectly to create a very tense and foreboding atmosphere with the sense that something could jump out at you at any moment (although that wasn't really Hitchcock's style).
The title is then pieced together for us however the title jerks suddenly so it becomes slightly distorted and not in line; this could connote a sense of mental instability. The word 'psycho' is short for 'psychopath' or 'psychopathic' which means somebody who has an inability to function normally regarding social skills or somebody with an inability to love so the fact that the titles are contorted could be a physical representation of a psychopath's mind. This also happens at the end of the sequence when they show Alfred Hitchcock's name again.
The music increases in volume and crescendos several times throughout the title sequence whilst the title sequence shots themselves remain reasonably similar and follow the same concept of the vertical lines revealing cast and crew member's names throughout the entire sequence.
The vertical lines contrast against the name of the film itself as they are all arranged neatly and orderly whereas a psychopath is generally considered to be messed up and their minds don't function in the way that they should; their reality is contorted in comparison to ours.
Furthermore the lines are revealing the names of the cast and crew, this could link to the films main character as initially he seems relatively normal but then it is revealed later in the film that he is actually mentally unwell and developed a split personality between himself and his mother. The lines revealing the names could represent how Norman Bates' true colours are revealed at the end of the film.
I believe that the audience for this film would be 25-45 year old males as it is a very sophisticated horror/thriller; I don't believe the topic of mental health would be well-received or understood by the younger generation.
Admittedly I found this particular title sequence quite hard to analyse as there wasn't any physical camera shots and there was no change of direction style-wise.
Thursday, 25 December 2014
Analysis of 'The Purge' title sequence
'The Purge' is a 2013 American sci-fi action thriller horror film which was written and directed by James DeMonacco. It stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Heady, Max Burkholder and Adelaide Kane; it was produced by Blumhouse Productions, Platinum Dunes and Why Not Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures.
The sequence starts with the name of the distribution company being shown against a black screen with gentle music playing in the background; this gives the audience the impression that all is good and the music lulls them into a false sense of security. This is quickly shattered when a shot of a man in a blue hoodie, who was just standing on his phone texting, gets brutally shot by a random passer-by. This immediatly snaps the audience out of the sense of security they were immediately in and reveals the film's true nature. The fact that the boy was wearing a hoodie could possibly connote youth; the man who shot him didn't wait, he brazenly strode over and shot him several times. It is also clear that the young man in the hoodie didn't expect this as he was weaponless and also wasn't doing anything wrong; the other man just shot him because he could. This suggests that during The Purge, no matter who you are - young or old - or what you've done, you're at risk: no one is safe. This immediately sets up a tense and ominous atmosphere for the audience and quickly establishes the horror/thriller elements of the film. The whole set up almost seems satirical or scathing of how humans would react if The Purge actually occured; all sense of morality would go out of the window and the fact that the man with the gun just spontaneously kills the man in the hoodie suggests that if we were given the power to kill with no consequence, we would.
There is then a blurry shot of a group of men attacking another man, jumping on him and beating him up. The shots are stylized as being shot by a security camera (like a denomination of the 'found footage' trend) and in the corner, there is a small caption that reads "Purge Feed". This presents the audience with a clever juxtaposition and another scathing look into this version of reality. 'Security cameras' were meant to keep people safe and watch out for criminals however now they are actually used to air people killing and attacking each other for somebody else's enjoyment; this presentation of reality shocks the audience and makes them think, which adds another element to the film and changes it from being 'just another horror'.
The cast member's names flash up on the screen whilst images of violence are played behind them (the gentle music is continuing to play throughout).
Some of the acts of murder and violence happen in dark alleys or behind buildings; there is one shot of a man who appears to be cutting someone's head off with a large weapon and he's alone in a dark alleyway. This suggests that he wants to commit these deeds away from other people and despite the fact he is murdering somebody else, he isn't proud of it and he's chosen to do so in the shadows. However, as a juxtaposition, there are other shots of acts of violence that happen right in the middle of the street. This suggests that some were just so brazen and sadistically excited by the events that they're almost proud of what they're doing - they wear it like a badge.
We then see an image of a bloodied woman who looks like she's been attacked climbing to her feet. This could suggest a sense of gender inequality as all of those committing crimes up to know have been men and the only shot of a woman in the entire trailer is one that has been attacked; this suggests that if the purge were ever to happen, men would be largely invested in the violence and be the ones to take part whereas women would be at the receiving end of it. This paints an image of innocence for the women in the purge and paints the men as violence and sadistic, however later in the film we see one of the main antagonists is a woman which turns this idea on its head.
Throughout the title sequence, there are many people using guns and going around sporadically shooting whoever they can see; the fact that there is such an abundance of guns in this title sequence could be a critisism of the gun laws in America and how easily available they are in society already.
We then see a shot of dead bodies lined up in a line on a flat plain of concrete. It's significant that they are lined up as it suggests that somebody, possibly the murdered themselves or another passer-by, took the time to line them up neatly. It could suggest that the murderer wanted to relish in what he'd done and line up the people he'd killed like a tally or that a passer-by could've tried to line them up as a sign of respect like they would be in a graveyard, giving them each their own space.
We are then shown a shot of a beaten and bloodied man crawling along the ground; this causes the audience to feel shocked at seeing what is possibly an innocent man in such a state. It is purposefully meant to shock the audience and make them think about the consequence of what could happen if this reality was real.
We then see a medium long shot of a car on fire which connotes how society and everything that appears in a normal everyday lifestyle gets destroyed and how unnecessarily destructive human beings can be.
There is then a long shot of a man trying to escape by climbing over an iron fence but is violently pulled down by two men and beaten; all of these shots are meant to shock and disturb the audience and when they are contrasted against the gentle, soothing background music, it gives the whole title sequence an even more sinister atmosphere as the music connotes that in this reality, The Purge is a completely normal thing.
The sequence ends with a shot of several people aimlessly wandering around in an open street, surrounded by fires, debris and dead bodies. This could signify what happens after The Purge as the individuals are not attacking each other and the fact that they are just wandering around gives the audience the impression that they almost don't know what to do with themselves and now that they aren't able to murder or attack, they're confused as to what to do. This again reinforces the idea that The Purge is totally normal and also considered a good thing - possibly a holiday - to people in this reality.
The audience for this film is most likely 16-30 year olds, probably male and working to middle class as in the film, they focus on a middle/upper class family and there are certain satirical aspects to the depiction of them so I think that would appeal to people outside of that class - an 'outside looking in'-esque appeal. Furthermore the violence would stereotypically appeal to males more so than females and the majority of the characters in the film - namely the antagonists - are young males and females so I think that they were aiming for a younger demographic.
The sequence starts with the name of the distribution company being shown against a black screen with gentle music playing in the background; this gives the audience the impression that all is good and the music lulls them into a false sense of security. This is quickly shattered when a shot of a man in a blue hoodie, who was just standing on his phone texting, gets brutally shot by a random passer-by. This immediatly snaps the audience out of the sense of security they were immediately in and reveals the film's true nature. The fact that the boy was wearing a hoodie could possibly connote youth; the man who shot him didn't wait, he brazenly strode over and shot him several times. It is also clear that the young man in the hoodie didn't expect this as he was weaponless and also wasn't doing anything wrong; the other man just shot him because he could. This suggests that during The Purge, no matter who you are - young or old - or what you've done, you're at risk: no one is safe. This immediately sets up a tense and ominous atmosphere for the audience and quickly establishes the horror/thriller elements of the film. The whole set up almost seems satirical or scathing of how humans would react if The Purge actually occured; all sense of morality would go out of the window and the fact that the man with the gun just spontaneously kills the man in the hoodie suggests that if we were given the power to kill with no consequence, we would.
There is then a blurry shot of a group of men attacking another man, jumping on him and beating him up. The shots are stylized as being shot by a security camera (like a denomination of the 'found footage' trend) and in the corner, there is a small caption that reads "Purge Feed". This presents the audience with a clever juxtaposition and another scathing look into this version of reality. 'Security cameras' were meant to keep people safe and watch out for criminals however now they are actually used to air people killing and attacking each other for somebody else's enjoyment; this presentation of reality shocks the audience and makes them think, which adds another element to the film and changes it from being 'just another horror'.
The cast member's names flash up on the screen whilst images of violence are played behind them (the gentle music is continuing to play throughout).
Some of the acts of murder and violence happen in dark alleys or behind buildings; there is one shot of a man who appears to be cutting someone's head off with a large weapon and he's alone in a dark alleyway. This suggests that he wants to commit these deeds away from other people and despite the fact he is murdering somebody else, he isn't proud of it and he's chosen to do so in the shadows. However, as a juxtaposition, there are other shots of acts of violence that happen right in the middle of the street. This suggests that some were just so brazen and sadistically excited by the events that they're almost proud of what they're doing - they wear it like a badge.
We then see an image of a bloodied woman who looks like she's been attacked climbing to her feet. This could suggest a sense of gender inequality as all of those committing crimes up to know have been men and the only shot of a woman in the entire trailer is one that has been attacked; this suggests that if the purge were ever to happen, men would be largely invested in the violence and be the ones to take part whereas women would be at the receiving end of it. This paints an image of innocence for the women in the purge and paints the men as violence and sadistic, however later in the film we see one of the main antagonists is a woman which turns this idea on its head.
Throughout the title sequence, there are many people using guns and going around sporadically shooting whoever they can see; the fact that there is such an abundance of guns in this title sequence could be a critisism of the gun laws in America and how easily available they are in society already.
We then see a shot of dead bodies lined up in a line on a flat plain of concrete. It's significant that they are lined up as it suggests that somebody, possibly the murdered themselves or another passer-by, took the time to line them up neatly. It could suggest that the murderer wanted to relish in what he'd done and line up the people he'd killed like a tally or that a passer-by could've tried to line them up as a sign of respect like they would be in a graveyard, giving them each their own space.
We are then shown a shot of a beaten and bloodied man crawling along the ground; this causes the audience to feel shocked at seeing what is possibly an innocent man in such a state. It is purposefully meant to shock the audience and make them think about the consequence of what could happen if this reality was real.
We then see a medium long shot of a car on fire which connotes how society and everything that appears in a normal everyday lifestyle gets destroyed and how unnecessarily destructive human beings can be.
There is then a long shot of a man trying to escape by climbing over an iron fence but is violently pulled down by two men and beaten; all of these shots are meant to shock and disturb the audience and when they are contrasted against the gentle, soothing background music, it gives the whole title sequence an even more sinister atmosphere as the music connotes that in this reality, The Purge is a completely normal thing.
The sequence ends with a shot of several people aimlessly wandering around in an open street, surrounded by fires, debris and dead bodies. This could signify what happens after The Purge as the individuals are not attacking each other and the fact that they are just wandering around gives the audience the impression that they almost don't know what to do with themselves and now that they aren't able to murder or attack, they're confused as to what to do. This again reinforces the idea that The Purge is totally normal and also considered a good thing - possibly a holiday - to people in this reality.
The audience for this film is most likely 16-30 year olds, probably male and working to middle class as in the film, they focus on a middle/upper class family and there are certain satirical aspects to the depiction of them so I think that would appeal to people outside of that class - an 'outside looking in'-esque appeal. Furthermore the violence would stereotypically appeal to males more so than females and the majority of the characters in the film - namely the antagonists - are young males and females so I think that they were aiming for a younger demographic.
Wednesday, 24 December 2014
Analysis of 'Se7en' title sequence
'Se7en' is a 1995 American psychological crime horror/thriller that stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow and was directed by David Fincher. It was distributed by New Line Cinema and grossed over $300 million worldwide at the box office.]
The sequence starts with a very close up shot of an unknown person turning the blank pages of a book. Books generally connote intelligence and those associated with books are often seen as academics however since the pages are blank, it could suggest that the character turning the pages of the book may appear intelligent or academic but in reality there is nothing of substance there. The ominously dark lighting suggests that the character is the antagonist in the film and since he is pouring over this book full of empty pages, it signifies a possible obsession. The blank pages could also signify the beginning of something; we later find out that the book is the diary of John Doe that he used to plan his murders however the audience does not know this at this point. It's the use of the pulsing foreboding music and the dim lighting however that suggests that this character is certainly dangerous or dark-minded. The rest of the title sequence backs up this idea.
The next shot shows the beginning of the title sequence and the contrasting use of font is a key feature in this title sequence. The names of the cast and crew are written in a scruffy hand-written style font which matches the images of the unknown character writing and creating his book; it could almost be used to suggest that it's the unknown character that is writing these names or that the font is in the style of his handwriting. This style of font also establishes a horror atmosphere. Furthermore throughout the title sequence, the text glitches and moves in a jumpy fashion; this could suggest a sense of mental instability, possibly that of the unknown character.
The next shot is of a pair of disfigured hands stuck neatly on a page. There is a definite juxtaposition between the contorted hands and the meticulously neat presentation of them in the book (this is seen throughout the entire title sequence) and this connotes how meticulous and specific John Doe was with his planning and with carrying out his murders, even to the last detail.
The next shots are extremely quick extreme close ups of different metal utensils such as a razor being taken out of its case. A razor can be iconographic of pain and could possibly be linked as a murder weapon however if it was as simple as that, there could've just been shots of guns and knives. The use of the razor is emphasizing how Doe uses very specific elements and focuses on the littlest of details and pieces them together.
We then see Brad Pitt's name flash up in the hand-written font up against a blank screen; this establishes that he is one of the main actors in the film.
The next shot is of John Doe slicing skin off the ends of his fingertips which quickly solidifies the fact that the film is a horror/thriller. It also suggests that Doe is not mentally stable and possibly psychotic; furthermore it reiterates the idea that Doe is meticulous to the last detail as well as being very obsessive (especially if he's willing to slice the skin off his fingers!).
The next shots are very mundane in comparison to the graphic images shown elsewhere in the sequence - it shows Doe slowly dunking a teabag into some water. This could connote how even psychopaths and those with mental instabilities do things that 'normal' people do and they can blend in so easily with the mundane routine of everyday life; this almost makes the idea of this particularly antagonist even more sinister as he could be anybody.
The next shot is of the title against a black background; this once again (like within the main actors) commands the audience's attention and emphasises that this piece of information is important.
We then see John Doe writing in another notebook, neatly and meticulously, and there is a ghosting-like effect used on his hand. This reiterates the idea of mental illness and somebody being jumpy or flighty; we then see several images of words and pages full of writing flash up on the screen. This symbolises just how much work Doe has put into these notebooks, emphasising to what degree his obsession is at.
Next, Doe is cutting up pieces of films and photographs to stick them into his notebooks, placing them neatly and in a very exact fashion into them. The fact that within another context, these are all perfectly normal activities, but when paired with the scratchy, pulsing music and the gloomy and foreboding lighting it can become extremely ominous makes the antagonist even more sinister. Like with the teabags, the antagonist isn't a knife-wielding maniac or a monster or anything like that, he appears to be as mundanely normal as you or I. However his mind and thoughts are extremely dark, which is represented in the music and lighting as well as some of the other images.
We then see a shot of a shadow of his hand turning the page of his notebook and the pages are covered in writing, emphasising how much time he has spent doing this, further suggestive the extent of his obsession.
The 'obsessive' nature of this character is also shown when he draws one single black line over the eyes of a picture of what appears to be a boy and then in the next shot, he has covered the entire picture with thick black lines. This connotes that this character's obsession drives him so much that he cannot be content with just doing something once; he feels he has to do things 100% or make a huge statement, like he does with his murders. Simplicity isn't common with him and this is evident in the meticulous research and presentation of his notebooks as well as the deeply complicated and strategically planned murders he commits.
More and more pages get filled and we see more shots of him writing in his notebook, possibly representing time passing. Then we are shown several gruesome images which represents the darkness of his thoughts and ideas amongst the polished and planned appearance of his schemes.
The title sequence is ended with the close up shot of him cutting out the word 'God' from an article and pulling it out with a pair of tweezers; we learn later that John Doe has based his murders off the seven deadly sins and the fact that he removed it - probably to stick into his notebooks - hints at this and hints that there are religious undertones to what he's doing. This could be seen as a clever use of encoded signifying.
I believe that this film is aimed at 18-25 year olds due to the graphic nature of some of the images and also because horror/thriller movies are extremely popular to this age group. I don't think there is a particular social group that the film aims to cater to but there is the stereotypical idea that the film could be trying to cater more to the male population as crime and thriller films are, stereotypically, more popular with that gender.
The next shot shows the beginning of the title sequence and the contrasting use of font is a key feature in this title sequence. The names of the cast and crew are written in a scruffy hand-written style font which matches the images of the unknown character writing and creating his book; it could almost be used to suggest that it's the unknown character that is writing these names or that the font is in the style of his handwriting. This style of font also establishes a horror atmosphere. Furthermore throughout the title sequence, the text glitches and moves in a jumpy fashion; this could suggest a sense of mental instability, possibly that of the unknown character.
The next shot is of a pair of disfigured hands stuck neatly on a page. There is a definite juxtaposition between the contorted hands and the meticulously neat presentation of them in the book (this is seen throughout the entire title sequence) and this connotes how meticulous and specific John Doe was with his planning and with carrying out his murders, even to the last detail.
The next shots are extremely quick extreme close ups of different metal utensils such as a razor being taken out of its case. A razor can be iconographic of pain and could possibly be linked as a murder weapon however if it was as simple as that, there could've just been shots of guns and knives. The use of the razor is emphasizing how Doe uses very specific elements and focuses on the littlest of details and pieces them together.
We then see Brad Pitt's name flash up in the hand-written font up against a blank screen; this establishes that he is one of the main actors in the film.
The next shot is of John Doe slicing skin off the ends of his fingertips which quickly solidifies the fact that the film is a horror/thriller. It also suggests that Doe is not mentally stable and possibly psychotic; furthermore it reiterates the idea that Doe is meticulous to the last detail as well as being very obsessive (especially if he's willing to slice the skin off his fingers!).
The next shots are very mundane in comparison to the graphic images shown elsewhere in the sequence - it shows Doe slowly dunking a teabag into some water. This could connote how even psychopaths and those with mental instabilities do things that 'normal' people do and they can blend in so easily with the mundane routine of everyday life; this almost makes the idea of this particularly antagonist even more sinister as he could be anybody.
The next shot is of the title against a black background; this once again (like within the main actors) commands the audience's attention and emphasises that this piece of information is important.
We then see John Doe writing in another notebook, neatly and meticulously, and there is a ghosting-like effect used on his hand. This reiterates the idea of mental illness and somebody being jumpy or flighty; we then see several images of words and pages full of writing flash up on the screen. This symbolises just how much work Doe has put into these notebooks, emphasising to what degree his obsession is at.
Next, Doe is cutting up pieces of films and photographs to stick them into his notebooks, placing them neatly and in a very exact fashion into them. The fact that within another context, these are all perfectly normal activities, but when paired with the scratchy, pulsing music and the gloomy and foreboding lighting it can become extremely ominous makes the antagonist even more sinister. Like with the teabags, the antagonist isn't a knife-wielding maniac or a monster or anything like that, he appears to be as mundanely normal as you or I. However his mind and thoughts are extremely dark, which is represented in the music and lighting as well as some of the other images.
We then see a shot of a shadow of his hand turning the page of his notebook and the pages are covered in writing, emphasising how much time he has spent doing this, further suggestive the extent of his obsession.
The 'obsessive' nature of this character is also shown when he draws one single black line over the eyes of a picture of what appears to be a boy and then in the next shot, he has covered the entire picture with thick black lines. This connotes that this character's obsession drives him so much that he cannot be content with just doing something once; he feels he has to do things 100% or make a huge statement, like he does with his murders. Simplicity isn't common with him and this is evident in the meticulous research and presentation of his notebooks as well as the deeply complicated and strategically planned murders he commits.
More and more pages get filled and we see more shots of him writing in his notebook, possibly representing time passing. Then we are shown several gruesome images which represents the darkness of his thoughts and ideas amongst the polished and planned appearance of his schemes.
The title sequence is ended with the close up shot of him cutting out the word 'God' from an article and pulling it out with a pair of tweezers; we learn later that John Doe has based his murders off the seven deadly sins and the fact that he removed it - probably to stick into his notebooks - hints at this and hints that there are religious undertones to what he's doing. This could be seen as a clever use of encoded signifying.
I believe that this film is aimed at 18-25 year olds due to the graphic nature of some of the images and also because horror/thriller movies are extremely popular to this age group. I don't think there is a particular social group that the film aims to cater to but there is the stereotypical idea that the film could be trying to cater more to the male population as crime and thriller films are, stereotypically, more popular with that gender.
Tuesday, 23 December 2014
Changes to chosen analysis films
I've had to make a few changes to the films I've chosen to analyse as many of the more modern films don't actually have obvious title sequences. Many just show the title of the film, the production and the distribution companies and then leave the rest of the credits to the end of the film. The Conjuring and 28 Weeks Later didn't have title sequences so I will probably replace them with Fight Club and another thriller or horror.
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