Influences

Influences

James Bond

“The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success.”

The chase scenes in James Bond are particularly effective at building suspense and tension. I think I could use this as an influence for my opening sequence.

Limitless  

The idea of an 'ordinary' man becoming part of an elaborate crime scene is an idea that i could use to influence my own opening sequence. 

Location

As discussed earlier, the ideal location for my opening sequence is Central London due to the availability of iconic landmarks. 

I feel like London Southbank would be appropriate for my opening sequence as there are a variety of landmarks visible from there such as the London Eye and Big Ben and there are also multiple bridges that can be used to film on. With the use of London Southbank it is possible to use the views from the London Eye as a backdrop when showing the names of the production/distribution companies etc.  

As Southbank is a public environment there are no restrictions on filming in that location that I am aware of and it is possible to film there at any time of the day all year round. Although it is sensible to consider that there will be peak times there where the public crowd is larger potentially creating problems such as noise and lack of free space for filming. As it is located directly on the bank of the River Thames there is not much road traffic noise meaning that that should not be a hindrance to my filming. There is, however, the possibility that public noise will be a problem during my filming as, as I said before, public places get very busy and congested during peak times. Most parts of Southbank stay well lit enough at all times of the day to enable filming to happen with relative ease. 

Who Will My Audience Be?

Based on my research I have established that the audience for my film will be primarily older and younger males with some interest from both of the female quadrants.

Audience Research

Who will my film appeal to?

Stereotypically, action thriller films are often associated with two of the four quadrants, younger and older males, however, the audience also sometimes extends into younger females. The association with males is largely due to the action-packed, fast pace of the films which is not usually enjoyed by most, not all, females meaning that distribution and exhibition companies for action films usually target the older and younger male quadrants as their primary target audience. 

I am reluctant to consider my opening sequence part of a film that only appeals to the niche market of males as I feel it would be unfair to presume that females will not go out to watch an action/thriller film purely based on the stereotype that males are more into action films as they are considered to be more 'masculine'. 

As the opening sequence is based around a businessman and not around an event or something that is linked to one country only this enables it to have a global appeal potentially leading to a larger audience across a variety of countries. I do not feel that it connects to a specifically British audience as, although the location for the sequence is Central London, it is a familiar and relatable location as it has been used in many other action films such as James Bond.  


Potential problems with my audience

It is a possibility that, due to my film being British, that there will be trouble in ensuring that it reaches a wide enough audience to be considered a success. Traditionally British films do not do well in the box office meaning that I must consider the possibility that it will take extra work to ensure that my film reaches its audience than it would have taken with a Hollywood blockbuster. The lack of big name actors/actresses in my film is also a potential problem as it means there will be further trouble in attracting the desired audience to the film. This could be combatted by releasing the film early to a critical audience in the hope that they will produce positive reviews which will work in attracting the audience to watch the film. However, even this has a problem as it is unlikely that most of the audience in the younger males quadrant will access these reviews if they are published in media like the newspaper or on news websites meaning I would need to ensure that they would be reached through other methods (perhaps by creating a viral video containing the critics comments as it is then more likely that they will be seen by younger males).

Production choices

I feel that my opening sequence idea is most suited for a blockbuster film as the influences for my opening sequence come from large budget, Hollywood blockbuster films due to the large amounts of special effects and locations used during filming and in production (although i know it is unrealistic to expect to be able to include special effects and a variety of city centre locations in my opening sequence due to the equipment available). Films such as Limitless were produced by large budget companies Relativity Media and Virgin Produced as the budget for special effects would have been far greater than an independent production company could cover. 

London Landmarks

   

Trafalgar Square

This would be a good location to film as it is an iconic London landmark which would help the audience to identify with the location. A drawback with this location is that it does not reflect the business environment in the big city that we are hoping to portray in our opening sequence and it is always very busy as it is a large tourist attraction meaning that filming would be extremely difficult due to noise and crowding problems.

                                                                                    

Big Ben 

Similar to Trafalgar Square, Big Ben is an iconic London landmark meaning that the audience would be able to instantly link the film to the location. However, it is also similar to Trafalgar Square in the sense that it does not reflect a business environment despite it being a focal part of London. It would be quite hard to film around Big Ben as it is situated on a busy road by the River Thames meaning that noise and crowding levels would seriously affect our filming process and therefore the final product.

London Bridge  

Although it is an iconic London landmark that would evoke a sense of familiarity within the audience, London bridge would be extremely difficult to film on due to the noise of the traffic on the bridge and the pedestrian traffic across the bridge would also be a significant problem.

Southbank 

Although it is not necessarily a 'well-known' London landmark it is an area that is used by most Londoners frequently. During lunch hours it is usually full of business men and women getting lunch creating a business environment that would be perfect for reflecting the feel of our opening sequence. It does not usually get too crowded meaning that noise and pedestrian traffic should not be a problem during filming, it is also not situated on or near a road meaning that there will be minimal noise from traffic.

Camden Lock

Camden Lock is not instantly recognisable to all outside of London and the UK, however, it is a focal part of London that reflects the diversity of the city. Despite this I am not sure whether it would be appropriate for our opening sequence as it in no way portrays a business atmosphere and is not considered a particularly high class area.

London landmarks are present in the background of many iconic action and thriller films as they are an easily recognizable icon that instantly links the film to the location and allows the audience to relate to the film's setting. 

What is an opening title?

An opening title is constructed very specifically in order to keep the attention of the audience who has already started to watch the film but may need persuading to stay. They do this by showing the names of the big name production and distribution companies first as the audience are most likely to know and relate to these names, especially if it is world famous companies such as Disney and Paramount. The names of the production/distribution companies being shown first is consistent in both Hollywood and independent films as the fact remains that they are usually the most well known names (perhaps even more so than independent films). After the names of the distribution and production companies, the order in which titles are shown is dependent on the people involved in the film; if a large name actor is involved in the film (this usually only applies to Hollywood films who can afford to hire big name actors) then their name is usually shown first to attract the attention of the viewer. This same concept applies to if the film has a famous director (such as the likes of Steven Spielberg) as the audience is likely to be able to link this director to other films that they have made and possibly liked, increasing their interest in the film. Those in charge of the technical aspects such as music and cinematography directors are usually shown towards the end of the opening titles as these are stereotypically the least known names meaning that they are likely to have little effect on the viewer. 

What is an action film?

Noun: action movie

1. A motion picture whose storyline involves fast-paced activity, fights and adventure

Action films are stereotypically films associated with the male gender due to the fast-paced and sometimes violent action that occurs throughout.

Examples of action films are:
- Casino Royale
- Avengers Assemble
- Gangster Squad
- The Hunger Games
- Taken
- Inception
- Top Gun
- 21 Jump Street
- Men In Black
- The Matrix
- Limitless

Action films usually contain a mixture of: special effects, stunts done by stunt men, chase scenes and, a final battle or confrontation of some kind. 

Mood Board

Film/Genre Mood Board

I have based my mood board around various action/thriller films as I feel this would be an interesting genre for my opening title. Films such as James Bond, Limitless and Taken involve a person being pursued for a variety of reasons. 

Location Mood Board

I feel that a city centre location is the ideal setting for my opening title as action films are usually based in busy, fast paced places such as Central London. Central London has many landmarks that could be used as the backdrop for certain scenes of my opening title. 

What I have learnt from analysing film opening sequences.

What have I learnt?

Through my analysis of the opening sequences of both Hollywood blockbuster and independent films I have learnt that the name of the distribution/production company often takes dominance over the other names involved in the film such as actors, directors etc.. This is usually done as it is likely that the name of the production and distribution company will be the name that the audience are most familiar with throughout the credits due to the likes of Disney and Paramount being household names. Actors names are usually involved in the opening credits, varying from 2 being shown to over 70, with the biggest name actors usually being shown first. This is also done as a method of attracting the audience and persuading them to continue watching the film as an audience's desire to watch the film will usually increase when they know that a popular actor is involved. I have also learnt that the opening credits usually set the scene for the rest of the film using sounds and backgrounds to create the atmosphere that the director wants the audience to feel in order for the film to have the most impact.


What I will take from this:

I now know that it is sensible to show the name of the production/distribution company first as this is the name that the audience are most likely to be familiar with. This will be of particular importance if the opening sequence I produce is a small, independent film as the production company will be vital in attracting and maintaining the audience's attention. I also know that the opening sequence is important in creating the atmosphere for the rest of the film meaning that the tone of my sequence must accurately represent the tone that would be present throughout the film if it were to be made. If I make a Hollywood blockbuster it is likely that it will have a big name actor(s) meaning that the placing of the actors name in the opening sequence is also important. The name of the actor should either be the first one shown in the sequence or should be the last one shown to signify their importance. 


Checklist for my opening sequence.
My opening sequence must include:
- Production company(s)
- Distribution company(s)
- Actors (sometimes only big name actors shown in Hollywood blockbusters)
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
My opening sequence may include (where relevant):
- Music director
- Casting director
- Editor
- Costume designer
- Photography director
- Screenplay
- Adaption
- Cinematographer