Location Research

How It's Done in Hollywood

Location scouting or Location research is a vital part of pre-production in film. Not only are the location department required to match an ideal location to the visual image the head of the production department, but they also have to consider weather, electricity, "logistic feasibility", cost and parking.

The process of location scouting generally involves a location department (consisting of location managers and scouts) to be hired that will communicate with the production department to find the desired scenery.
Location scouting is done through photography, research and visiting the chosen areas to ensure they are ideal for the film. The department must create what is called a "short list" of all the appropriate locations found to be passed onto and approved by the production department.

 "In addition to providing creative input, the Location Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of locations"
                                            - LMGA "Who We Are" page

4 minute video on location scouting from the LMGA website (Location Mangaers Guild of America) - http://locationmanagers.org/lmga/2011/11/who-we-are-and-what-we-do-a-4-minute-video-about-location-managing/

How It's Done At Newlands 

When we were first exploring the possibilities of what we could do for a two minute opening, the idea which we had in mind already came with it's location of the Underground. The very very first raw idea from which everything rooted was; a dishevelled looking girl riding on the underground late at night. From that first idea we've looked into shooting on the Underground, been disappointed and planned to shoot somewhere else, applied for an official student permit from the TFL (transport for London , gone through the application process, encountered financial problems when paying for it, overcome those problems to finishing typing this blog post the day before we film "the new Bond".

As we wrote in our application for the permit:

(...)Within this opening, we hope to capture to urban environment of the bustling London city and we believe that the London Underground is perfect for presenting this theme. The tube will appear in an audio-visual way on camera, appearing as our main setting for the opening of our narrative. The passing trains should add a sense of depth and urgency to the filming as well as providing atmospheric lighting. All of this is essential to our opening to present as much meaning as possible through visuals, given the fact that our main character does not speak. Our production group believed Paddington to be a good station to choose as it is a mainstream station, meaning crowds will be abundant and it is also easy to commute to being an central location. Further to this, the circle line platforms offer as a good mix of natural and darkened light, reflecting many aspects of our films plot and main characters struggles. The footage we can acquire from this shoot will depict our characters actions as her main thought process is shown through voice over. Therefore, the shots will match the monologue that is spoken by our character  The setting of the underground also works well with emphasizing how lost this character is compared to the moving world surrounding her. The great thing about filming in a station such as Paddington is the feeling that everyone seems to have a destination, contrasting to our lost protagonist, Ariadne, who is trying to discover hers.

We chose three possible stations when considering which platforms and undergrounds to shoot on: Angel, Baker Street and Paddington. From previous experience we all decided that these were the underground stations that evoked the appropriate mood we needed for our footage due to the versatility of the lighting, crowds and layout of the stations. Initially, we thought that Baker Street would be most ideal due to the low lighting that we thought would evoke a sense of isolation, however we were reminded that an important aspect of what we were trying to convey about Ariadne is her sense of insignificance to other people and how she's invisible to most people because of her disability, which would be achieved through the initial shots of her amidst the crowds of London. We thought that of all three stations Paddington would be the most crowd-filled there is, not to mention well-known, therefore the viewer would identify the location more so than the others. We ruled out Angel because although it had the right atmosphere, there weren't two opposing platforms available to do the shot-reverse shot of Isaac and Ariadne. Our final decision was to film on platforms 1 + 2 of the London Underground, Paddington station.

                                                                            Angel:

Baker street: 

London Paddington:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/10484.aspx - for my location research- tfl

Plan For Tomorrow

As part of our location research I have researched the weather forecast so we can be prepared for tomorrow, and spread out the shots accordingly. 

Our Schedule is as follows: 

Filming Schedule – Unspoken

8:45 – Meet outside Maidenhead train station, maximum late allowance- 6 min’s. Buy tickets for 4 people, group tickets around £7.49 day travel pass and board the 9:08am train on platform 4 (unless we find an earlier train).

10:31 – Arrive at Waterloo station (due to train works) and take the Bakerloo line direct to Paddington. Meet Cam in Café Nero/Uppercrust. Go to necessary Police department (written in notes to be taken with us) then find Supervisor and present documents and equipment.

12:00 – Have lunch where ever closest to avoid wasting time. 

12:30-13:00 - Start filming. Shot reverse shots with Cam to be shot first. Exterior shots and shots requiring specific bright daylight for exposure purposes. 

15:00 - 15:30 – Interior shots. 

16:00-17:00 - Film drop sequence and any other shots that may be necessary.

18:30 - Sign Out and go home

Film Openings - Atonement

I know I've referenced to the film Atonement (Joe Wright) quite a lot throughout this blog. However I feel that the opening for this film was really effective. As I said before- I'm not that big a fan of the plot line, but the way the movie was constructed is really effective, and this opening is one of the (only) two positive things that stuck with me after having seen the film. I believe there is a use of MacGuffin in the opening two minutes, and the use of sound is also really effective.

Atonement - Timeline of Opening Sequence


1/10 sec's - "Universal" institution logo and own music (a typical convention of opening                    sequences. However I find it more effective when the diagetic music is played                    during the company logos- it just makes the movie more real for me rather than                   "movieish") 
2/10 sec's - Institution logo and music conclude by fading out to pitch black screen and                    silence.3/10 sec's - More production company logos, no diagetic music/sound as of yet. 4/10 sec's - Diagetic nature sounds (mostly birds) begin softly. Official movie titles dissolve                   in and type writer is wound up/pulled back between tittles dissolving.5/10 sec's - Typewriter is pulled back three times. Diagetic sounds of birds continue. Quite                    loud typing sounds in sync with main title appearing letter by letter . Historic                    printed font which replicates the font of a typewriter, already giving away the                    fact that this is a period film set around in the middle of the 20th century.6/10 sec's - Type writer is pulled back again and a punchy diagetic noise of typing continues.                    Punchy noise in sync with the straight cut to the establishing shot of a dolls                   house, the diagetic typewriter sounds continue. The dolls house is  brilliant                    example of a strong opening. This image effectively tells us what the movie is                    going to be: a childs perspective of adult issues. The dolls house reflects the                    child's perspective, and the fact the house looks really intricate and is an exact                    copy of what we'll later see is the house of the protagonist's family, tells us the                    child's perspective will be of adult issues. It also depicts innocence and (again)                   tells the audience that this is a period film from the vintage style of the dolls                    house. A couple seconds later the tittle of "England 1935" appears (also in sync                    with continuing typewriter sounds). Camera slowly starts to zoom out of dolls                    house shot. Second Minute begins here1/10 sec's - Type writer sounds pick up pace and diagetic nature sounds continue. There is a                   particular distinctive fly buzzing heard (diagetic also) which reflects what will                    lead to the child character misunderstanding certain events in the future. the fly                   buzzing in the window is what attracts her attention to what's occurring outside,                   causing her to misinterpret a specific event. Simultaneously there is a  low-angled                    tracking shot following a trail of toy animals leading from the dolls house to the                    protagonist child character sitting in a desk chair. This is also symbolic for most of                    the other characters blaming this child the entire story for the way events weave                    themselves into reality because of her childish misconception. At this point, the                    setting of a child's room is definitely established through the background of toys.                   There are natural colours maintained through the furnishings- mostly pale green                   tones. 2/10 sec's - Camera grows closer to the type-writer, therefore the  diagetic sounds grow                    louder. Camera slowly rises to the level of the girl typing sitting in the chair. The                    painting hung above also could symbolize her desperate attempt at forgiveness                    and putting things right as well as her innocence.3/10 sec's - Camera is now at the same level as the girl and starts to pan around her head,                    slowly revealing her face. The diagetic sound of the typewriter is now at it's                   loudest level. 4/10 sec's - Close up of the girl's innocent blue eyes- camera still slowly panning. A non-                   diagetic sound of a single reccuring piano note begins to play. Camera switches                   to a shot of the paper in the type writer reading "The End". 5/10 sec's - Page pulled out of type writer, second piano layer added with closure of the                    folder in which the girl places the piece of paper. The name of the character is                    introduced this way- Briony Tallis. We also know she's a creative character and                    is interested in writing. More intricate musical layers begin until the main theme                    of the film begins. As I mentioned in my analysis on sound previously, this                    intricate polyphonic texture reflects the intricate and quick way the events                    weave themselves into reality for these characters, and Briony is the catalyst.                    Camera zooms out as Briony grabs script and walks away, at which point the                    camera switches to a long shot. The initially diagetic sounds of the typewriter                    become non-diagetic and a part of the polyphonic musical texture. The audience                    starts to see the vast space of the house and rich interiors. 6/10 sec's - More layers added to music which is fairly fast paced. The camera follows                    Briony's journey through the house but not through a tracking shot. Camera in a  fixed angle, but turns as Briony passes through the frame. 

Lighting & Colour Research

The lighting & colour in film is excruciatingly important. Any slight changes in colour or lighting can change the mood of the scene and therefore the effect this had on the audience. Lighting tends to be either low key or high key. I explored these two terms in a previous post on it's role in the industry in general. Low key is when the lighting isn't concentrated on a specific area of the screen and the entire setting remains equally lit. High key is the opposite- where most of the lighting is concentrated on a specific area. I think generally, lighting tends to be quite often altered using various equipment so it appears as it does to the human eye, to ensure the actors faces are lit up appropriately. The costume and make up department often works with Lighting & colour to coordinate the visual aspects of the way a scene will work. Having the right make up will ensure the actors faces won't look oily or reflect any of the light in the scene to destroy the verisimilitude of the filmic world created. 

We already have lighting restrictions even before we arrive at the location. Due to the area in which we we're filming, we're not permitted by TFL to use any additional lighting as this would distract the train drivers. In a way I think this works in our favour. I think the end result of the film will give the viewers the impression they're at the location on screen, adding a sense of realism. Also it allows for versatility in adjusting lighting and colour later in the colour grading process so if we for some reason decide not to add anything or aren't happ with the way it looks we can always go back to the original format. 

I think one of the advantages of filming at this location is we have a variety of lighting available to us, as evident in the photo above. There are areas of high concentration of light as well as low- so we have a lot to work with. This will of course also depend on the whether forecast for the day which we will post and research beforehand. We may of course encounter the problem of there being too little lighting as the source for this station is natural light. 

We are also prepared to film on the underground station, Angel should Paddington not suit our requirements. As evident from the photo above the lighting is quite artificial and concentrated. I think for this reason it won't work as effectively as Paddington  The natural light of Paddington evokes a sense of coldness almost- and the theme of isolation is what we wanted to evoke. I think the warm, artificial hues of Angel won'y work as well because they lack the coldness  Of course this can simply be altered during the colour grading process.

Baker Street above is our final option for a filming location. This lighting is closest to what we envisioned in our minds due to the creepy low key use of light. We had all visited this station before and agreed that it captured the feeling we wanted to evoke perfectly. 

Colour!

We agreed on the colouring of the film to be mainly natural, with darker tones to replicate the main themes of our narrative. It also helps that the stations we plan to use have an aged look to them which gives of mystery and enigma, and also fits more to the conventions of our action/drama genre whilst providing us with a more cinematic feel. We planned for Ariadne to be amongst the initial crowd shots, therefore her clothes will blend in with the natural colouring of the scene to hide her importance in our narrative. This will also be similar to that of Isaac's character, yet he will hopefully have a more intimidating feel, with dark clothing that mimics Ariadne's colour scheme. This will mean that although he could be seen as an antagonist, a connection between the two characters is also faintly evident. 

Main Task Update 2

We received our official permit yesterday!!!! 

So we are definitely going to be filming on the underground!!! The permit lasts for exactly one month and it is apparently possible to return to film on location any time between the  starting date and expiry date. We have put together all of our necessary documents for the day- the paperwork received with the permit, the employer's liability and the risk assessment (along with four copies of the script). Tomorrow we will have our run through session with the Camera so we know how to operate it tomorrow and don't waste any valuable time. Our shot list is being drawn up at the moment as well as our story boards and hopefully everyone should have their research complete by the big day. I've also started to write up a schedule for the day- which I haven't finished yet due to the shot list being incomplete- and which I will print off for the director (me) to have tomorrow.

Development of Character - Isaac & Ariadne

The two lead protagonists in our narrative are Ariadne Russo (lead female protagonist) and Isaac (lead male protagonist). After having mind-mapped the basic personality of Ariadne (below) we started to talk about what kind of impression we want the audience to get from her character and how we are going to represent her. Our group member Cary Banks is our official costume researcher as well as story-boarder  therefore we discussed a general concept that Cary is able to develop.

Ariadne

The mind-map discusses the back bones of Ariadne's character. She is on the run and a generally guarded person, therefore she doesn't trust people too easily. She's not the kind to smile at a stranger, mostly she keeps to herself and her writing. Not many people notice her, she's not the kind to attract much attention, therefore it's no surprise someone bumps into her without realising- knocking her bag off and spilling her papers everywhere.
She doesn't have many accessories on her. Practically she came from a foster care home and doesn't have much money or possessions on her- she doesn't tend to get emotionally attached to small things, just give her some paper and a pen and she can draw you her dreams. The only jewellery she wears is a silver band ring from her infancy- it's a link to her past with Isaac- they found it together during one of their many adventures. She's a strong character. But because she cannot speak she gets very annoyed when she wants to say something and can't- because of this she has a short temper. And Isaac is the opposite- he laughs at the small things she obsesses over and is a contrasting more relaxed character.
Before I move onto Isaac- Cary created a mood board for Ari's appearance which is to the right>>

 Ariadne is a guarded character, therefore her clothes would not give too much of her away. She is on the run - depicted through her dishevelled appearance and lack of care about personal fashion. Her clothes will be in-keeping within natural hues, but nothing detailed- mostly plain colours. In the early developments of her character we discussed her looking like a blank-canvas. She doesn't know who she is- and this is what she is trying to discover. She wears a satchel- practical for all the things she needs (paper, pencils, pens- all sorts of stationary, water, some snacks, map, scarf etc...) and she's had this satchel for as long as she can remember. It looks quite worn and like it's been many places- the fabric is canvas-style. She has writing on her hands and ink stains here and there. The clothes she wears aren't mainly from high-street stores, she prefers to buy second-hand clothing as she was raised to be practical. But her clothes depict a certain sensibility and classiness that girls of her age don't usually have.

Isaac

As I began to explain, Isaac has an opposite attitude to Ariadne. He's more relaxed about the little things and doesn't get mad easily- it's the future and Ari's demons that bother him most. He's naturally protective of Ariadne, sometimes too much, having taken her under his wing in their infancy when they were both in the same care home for kids. He's more logical than creative like Ari is in terms of his interests and is very precise in everything he does (for example- map making) . Whilst Ari is intrigued in the cultres of the world and travel Isaac is interested in travel but admiring it from a distance- he has more of a stable view of home, contrasting to Ari who is used to bringing her home wherever she goes. He's an organized character and likes to be prepared. Below is the other mood board Cary prepared for Isaac's appearance.

Draft of Story Boards (Meeting 4)

During the meeting today we assigned everyone researching roles in order to prepare for the 'big day' and work effectively. I was assigned the role of researching location for our movie, and props. Cary was originally going to do this research task, however she is already in charge of final storyboards and costume research, therefore I offered to take on the role. We also finalised our storyboard draft- part of which is displayed below. I think at this point in time, I'm not feeling like I can see the two minute sequence in my 

head fully yet- it all seems quite detached at the moment, but hopefully that will change when we do our Animatic (if we have time) and when we have our final shot list and storyboards. 

Shot one - Establishing exterior shot of London's crowds entering the underground- establishing setting of the opening sequence. The shots capture the hustle and bustle of London, evoking a sense of purposefulness and showing a mix of people.

Shot two-  Interior shot of the crowds flooding into underground. We discussed embedding the tittles cleverly into the opening shots, however we are still undecided on this and will finalize this decision before drawing up our final story boards. 

Shot three - Continuing showing the crowds of London- this time through a mid-shot of peoples heads rushing by- Ariadne is amongst these heads- obviously not evident to the viewer yet. Narrow margin of focus in shot- Ariadne is in this margin, hinting to the audience to focus specifically on this area as someone important is there. 

Shot four- Closer shot  but not quite a close-up, into the focus margin in previous shot- Ariadne's head moves suddenly down. 

Shot five - (shot seven in storyboard sequence in photo- I got them mixed up!) Close up shot of scribbled papers on the floor. This shot is arguably the most important as it is the first clue the audience gets to Ariadne's character, this is how she communicates and the stepping of someone's shoe on the paper symbolises how people usually just see her as the "mute girl" and she is ignored by most people. 

Shot six - (shot five in photo) Close up of Ariadne's face. Her hair covers most of her appearance as she puts away the paper into her bag. This shot represents how little of herself she expresses to people, how guarded and not easily trusting she is. 

Shot seven - (shot six in photo) This is a continuing shot of the previous- still a close up of her face looking up at the train schedule screens- the audience sees her face clearer for just a moment and then she walks away. 

Shot eight - This shot is one we were going to cut in-between six and seven. It's a mid shot of Ariadne placing the paper into her bag and walking away- head down. 

Shot nine- Mid shot of Ariadne walking towards the corner of the platform. She has a satchel on her back and dishevelled looking hair. Narrow depth of field- Ariadne is more in focus than anyone else. 

Shot ten - Close up shot of Ariadne's boots and satchel as she sits down in the corner of the station. Again- we wanted to reveal as less as possible of her character in these opening shots, and when we do give away information- do it in minuscule amounts to simultaneously reflect Ari's guarded character and stimulate enigma. 

Shot eleven - Mid shot of Ari pulling something out of her bag (viewer does not immediately see what this is). Her face is covered with her hair again. 

This is the basic skeleton of shots around which we will build our final story board. 

And... Our pitch > https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nkus8RDBkXE

(sorry!... for some odd reason it won'r embed) 

Main Task Update

After having mentioned our problem of filming on the London Underground to another teacher, we were told that applying for a permit is in fact a possibility, due to the fact that because this is a school project the expensive insurance would be covered by the government. Therefore the cost will work out at around £12.50 per person (4 people) to pay for our permit. After enquiring to TFL about the application we were told that this would involve a written screenplay and/or a synopsis of our narrative. We applied as quickly as possible after meeting to discuss changes to the written screenplay by Keeley Burridge, and the synopsis. Our group assigned everyone roles for what we were each responsible for (of course we've discussed and collaborated a little on everything as this is a group project), and Keeley was appointed Screenplay writer. Throughout this project it seems that every one has assumed their natural roles, and for this reason Keeley (being a talented writer) became our main writer.  

Below are a couple images displaying the final screenplay. We decided that the draft Keeley had written during the holdiays was effective the way it was therefore we didn't want to alter it too much. The voice over gave away just the right amount of information the audience needs to know about the protagonist,  but not too much that stimulation of enigma is lost. 

      

We also used these materials when pitching our idea to the rest of the class. 

After meeting together many times and developing our narrative Keeley also wrote out a neat version of what we all collaborated on- not quite our synopsis, but more of a "promotional paragraph" similar to the summary on the back of movie cases.

Summary of narrative:

Ariadne Russo is different. It’s not the fact that the spoken word seems to elude her. It’s not the fact that she never knew the identity of her parents. Her memories are lost, stolen by ghostly figures she no longer remembers. She is as blank as the map that holds the key to her identity, blank save for a few rough outlines of London dotted with red marks. After the map makes its way into her possession through a series of unusual circumstances in her foster home, the young, lost woman is inclined to follow it to where ever it may lead her, in vain hopes that it might just help her rediscover her voice and her memories. What she doesn't know is that others are following the same path; one- intent upon saving her, the other- destroying her. Ariadne is the unwitting holder of a remarkable gift that allows her to sense where objects have been by mere touch, unlocking their secrets and inanimate stories. Yet her psychometric ability, it seems, has been cut from her just as everything else has, another lost key to whom, or what she may be.  With people searching for a girl so lost within her, will she be found by the right person? Or is it too late for her to even regain what is lost and save herself?

Our back story and more detailed description is discussed in our formal pitch which we recorded in class below>

Main Task- Narrative Ideas (Meeting 3)

• Character - Girl, around age 18, looking slightly scruffy and messed up. She has no idea who she is except for the fact that she can not speak and communicates through writing. Name idea: Ariadne Russo? Accent however, evident in her voice over (or thoughts), giving the audience a clue as to where she's from. She may not realise her accent? As she has never spoken. 
• There has been an off screen inciting incident - pressure ball theory leading to her breaking. No parents, has suffered some kind emotional trauma that made her forget and stop speaking. See's a person that stirs her memories whilst she is following the blank map, and she feels as if something will happen to him? They may have been involved in another incident that caused her trauma, and in some respects, amnesia and caused him to disappear. 
• He knows who she is, he is the only vague memory she has and she doesn't truly know him. She has the map but doesn't know where it came from (but it really came from him). A single number on the map stirs this feeble memory, a number that relates to how many days she knew him. Perhaps he wrote them down? A house number or maybe coordinates for a place? 
• Setting outside a train station (changed due to restraints on filming), still retains the idea crowds and urban setting that contrasts to her personality, yet is also a little gritty. She is waiting, debating whether or not to board the train to her next destination 
• Guys names: Liam? Isaac? 
• The last line spoken of the film would be said by the main protagonist (Ariadne?) who has not uttered a single word throughout the entire film. She says the boys name.

We met up during lunch time to discuss and develop our main protagonist- Ariadne Russo. The points above are what we came up with.

Drafting Ideas on Main Task (Meeting 2)

During our second gathering to discuss our film narrative we developed our starting point. At our initial meeting we discussed a girl sitting in the corner of the London Underground, and showing her dishevelled appearance through close-up shots of our character. By the end of our second meeting we had a basic outline of what we saw happening in our two minutes. We basically created a shot list of this opening and built on each other's ideas. I think one of the things we had trouble on agreeing was how much information we should give to the audience in order to maintain enigma but avoid confusion. We thought perhaps if we left some things unsolved about this character then it would be easier to uphold the enigma, without giving too much away. 

 In addition to the shot list, our group came up with the McGuffin for our narrative which is a map. To create more intrigue for the audience the map will be blank save for a few red marks and lines and in possession of the girl protagonist. In terms of her story we didn't come up with much as we were debating how much of the narrative we need to have developed, however we know she is a closed off character for one reason or another. From this we developed the key theme we want to portray- isolation.We thought the original location of the London Underground would be perfect for this as the purposeful crowds contrast to our protagonist who feels isolated amongst them, and can create quite a cinematic feel with the low-key lighting and mix of all sorts of people. 

Unfortunately, in the following lesson we inquired about filming on the underground only to be informed that we have to apply for a £50 student permit along with extremely expensive insurance. Due to these financial restrictions it's not going to be possible to film on the underground. Following these upsetting news we began to list other possible areas that would evoke the same feel as the London Underground and developing our narrative and protagonists further. 

Film Openings - Love Actually

This last film opening we looked at together in class employs the use of voice-over to stimulate enigma. It establishes two lead protagonists as well as the romantic-comedy genre. Whilst the first minute focuses mostly on the different kinds of love and establishes it's universality, the second commences in a comedic way through the use of a well-known celebrity who's part of the all-star cast. You could argue that similar to Forrest Gump, the opening two minutes of Love Actually also establish the basic narrative of the film. Hugh Grant mentions almost all the forms of love to be explored within the narrative and just as all these forms are united in the one place in the opening two minutes- the protagonists are united in the same place further on in the film. 

Love Actually - Timeline of Opening Sequence

1/20 sec's - Company titles fade in, slowly bottom of screen. Normal, white font used. Arrival 
                     gate, Heathrow- people hugging amongst crowds. Opening non-diagetic music 
                     sounds like a "glow"- synth strings used? Public displays of affection continue- 
                     different people, different situations. Non-diagetic music and visuals work 
                     together to evoke feelings of love and warmth. Camera doesn't linger too long on 
                     each couple or situation- just long enough to show the few moments of affection 
                     shared by everyone- this portrays more of a general concept through staying 
                    distanced to the characters on screen, however it still reaches out to the audience 
                    as these moments are something everyone can relate to.  

2/20 sec's - Situations discussed in voice-over explored through visuals. Voice-over begins- 
                      immediately evident that it's Hugh Grant. Piano music starts playing 
                      underneath as the voice over develops.

3/20 sec's - Speaking of relatable/universal concepts.  Warm hues evoked through 
                     cinematography. Final line fades in word by word as spoken by Hugh Grant.
                     Voice-over pauses a little after title is spoken in sentence. "...is all around" fades 
                     away and the movie title is left on screen. "love" turns a red colour and "actually"
                     remains white. Meanwhile title grows very slowly and subtly in size- starts to 
                     fade, word "love" is last to fade away. 

Second Minute begins 

1/20 sec's - Music fades through chimes into Christmasy music. Comedic aspect of film 
                     introduced here after "love" concept introduced in the opening. Song playing is 
                     really cheesy and well-known. Actor's names appear as character is introduced. 

2/20 sec's - Emphasis on the "love" lyric in the song- establishes the genre of a rom-com. 

3/20 sec's- continues...

Through the uses of including well-known celebrities in this opening and establishing a universal theme to which everyone can relate enigma is stimulated, within the opening two minutes. 

Film Openings - Inglorious Basterds

Inglorious Basterds (directed by Quentin Tarantino) begins using the simple, traditional approach of opening with credits during the first two minutes. This method of stimulating enigma is simple- it creates a build up to the opening scene making the audience impatient and eager for the film to start. 

Inglorious Basterds  - Timeline of Opening Sequence

1/10 sec's - Non-diagetic western-sounding music begins with the opening production company titles. 
                        Music sounds dated and not from the modern era immediately setting the tone of war time 
                        through the waltz music- popular at the time. Black and white font.

2/10 sec's - Non-diagetic music builds up to main title. Font of main title appears angrily-hand written, 
                        and stands out from previous titles. 

3/10 sec's - Yellow font of tittles, main actors name appears in tittles. The colour of the font as well as the 
                         type is used to distinguish the importance of people in the titles.  Thickened texture of music
                        (gradually builds throughout) titles are in sync with beat of music. 

4/10 sec's - Names of actors following appear in order of importance. Overall music doesn't posses a 
                        particular mood- not particularly happy or sad.

5/10 sec's - Names of introductory actors appear- build up of music again. 

6/10 sec's - Change of colour of font to black and white and smaller size- change of importance in titles 
                        (not leading actors)

Second Minute begins 

1/20 sec's - Guest Starring actors names begin- displayed in black and white font. Music build up- main 
                        musical motif repeated.

2/20 sec's - Simply black screen- titles have finished. Music continues for a couple of seconds and the 
                         texture thins out, as well as the dynamics growing quieter.

3/20 sec's - Establishing shot of film. Shot of man chopping wood from a low-angle shot. Summer colours 
                         emphasized through high contrast of shots. Setting appears to be somewhere in the country 
                         side- official country not yet identified. Straight cut to shot of woman hanging washing mid-
                         shot- she sees someone arriving in  the distance.

Information gained from opening

- We know this film isn't set in modern day judging from the western waltz music, costume and old-fashioned title opening

- Setting of film is in the season of summer evident from the background colours and physical state of man chopping wood

- There is a man chopping wood who appears to be middle-aged and someone is paying him and the woman hanging up the washing a visit 


How this creates enigma

- The fact that the film opens with titles on a black screen rather than driving straight into the narrative keeps the audience waiting for the opening scene to be introduced. 

- Audience isn't given much to go on in terms of guessing the narrative- builds suspense thus creating enigma- only the music and title font are the main clues as well as the opening shot of an chopping wood in rural country side. 

- The last ten seconds of black screen before the opening scene are particularly suspense building as the audience is waiting patiently for the movie to begin. Opening movies in this way was the way pretty much all old films began, so this type of opening is in itself giving away the fact that this movie isn't set in the modern day. I find when often watching old movies to be quite infuriating waiting for the movie to begin  during the credits- it certainly stimulates enigma. 

Film Openings - Forrest Gump

Out of the three openings we studied in our media lessons, one particular technique some directors use is the MacGuffin as popularized by Alfred Hitchcock.

"A Macguffin is a specific goal deemed important by the characters early on but that turns out to be irrelevant or worthless to the larger cause" - Lesson 17, Create tangible objects of desire (101 Things I Learned in Film School)

At the core, A Macguffin is simply a device used that can be a desired object, goal, etc... whose main purpose serves to propel the narrative onwards. According to my research, the director can enhance it's importance to the narrative as much or as little as he/she wants.

Forrest Gump - Timeline of Opening Sequence

1/10 - Opening shots show blue sky and feather. First titles that appear- production company "Paramount", the use of the backdrop of sky reflected the company logo without having to show it. Music fades in, quiet twinkling piano which  reflects the lightness of the feather in shot (MacGuffin). MacGuffin reflects innocence   the idea of a fairytale and the feather's journey documented through the tracking shot which runs throughout the first 2 minutes, which could be reflecting the journey of Forrest Gump throughout the narrative of the film.

2/10 - Start to see a definitive landscape here- urban area, however not a big city. Immediately tells us film is set in fairly modern period of time (1950's onwards). First titles continue- lead actor's name appears (Tom Hanks). Music continues, thicker texture than in the opening ten seconds, music on feather becomes more dominant. Light and "pretty" music connotes to fairytale.

3/10 - Tracking shot continues and shows more of the landscape as it travels with the feather- which is being carried by the wind, travels up +down etc... Music crescendos and layer of strings are added- texture builds.

4-6/10 - Titles continue to fade gently in and time period becomes apparent through subtle hints in landscape e.g. old cars. Involvement of church in shot- could be symbolising something? Dynamics of music subtly grow and fall with the movement of the feather.

1 minute into film

1/20 - The first time we see our protagonist is vaguely through the leaves of trees. We thought this could possibly reflect that perhaps he's overlooked by the rest of the world. Same musical motifs continue. Camera then moves to focus on a different man through following the feather- business man, looks more important- probable protagonist? Feather rests on man's shoulder then resumes it's travels. Flute and strings still evident, quiet bass. Different instrument use with inclusion of possible protagonist in shot.

2/20 - Feather drops slightly towards the ground and falters with the wind due to the gust of wind created by a car but resumes its natural course this time higher than before- could reflect how the bad things in life can make you stronger as a person. String segment grows louder during this sequence of shots, full orchestra heard now. Shot of bus driving past with the year "1981", melody changes every so often.

3/20 -  (final twenty seconds) First impressions of Forrest Gump- homeless? The first shot is off his muddy trainers and the feather settling by his feet. Could reflect how he's been places, come a long way, has a story to tell. His first instinct is to pick up the feather which shows an act of compassion- shows he's a kind character. We see he has a gift for someone? Perhaps he's going to meet someone? Interesting compilation of objects in his briefcase- places the feather onto a similar background to that initially introduced- blue sky and clouds. Music calms and slows, hear twinkling of piano- music fades to just strings and high pitched notes.

Information gained from opening

• Current setting is in an urban space- a town of some sort, not a big city
• A man is sitting on a bench in a park looking like he's waiting for someone, yet he has a briefcase with him- containing strange compilation of objects. He comes across as a truly individual character- he wears a brightly coloured suit and muddy trainers suggesting he's been places and has a story to tell. 
• The scene takes place in the year 1981

How this opening creates Enigma

• Audience wants to find out more about this character-

                                        - Who is he in general?- main protagonist?

                                        - Is he waiting for someone? 

                                        - What's his personality like- what's his story?- I think the strange combination

                                       of a brightly coloured suit and trainers stimulate this question, as first appearances 

                                       play an important part in first impressions of a character. 

                                        - What are the objects in his suitcase and why are they there? 

                                        - Who is the gift for? Is it a gift?

• The travelling of the feather also stimulates enigma before it settles because you want to know where it's going to end up and why- the reasoning for the use of the Macguffin of a feather I assume will become clearer to those who already know the narrative and can make parallels between the two. 

                                        

As I haven't yet watched this movie, it is difficult to pin point exactly what has been given away about the narrative throughout the first two  minutes. However, most of the questions listed above are what went through my mind when watching this opening.