OUR OWN TITLE SEQUENCES BASED ON OUR LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER
PROJECTS
Our brief was to create our own interpretations of a titling sequence, based on the short story: "Lamb to the Slaughter." We created these in small groups and we have analysed the ideas as to what is reflected to the viewer, and its effectiveness.
With the interpretations my group and I got from reading “Lamb to the Slaughter”, we created our own opening title sequence for the book, if it was to become an actual movie. In the titling we used a backing score called: “Only you” by The Platters. Our score was very mellow in its tone and managed to highlight the ideas of calmness and a peaceful atmosphere. This helped emphasise a homely nature and flowed with the clips of a woman doing housework. This was used effectively due to the contradicting nature compared to the rest of the storyline of the story. This would set the viewer with a tranquil mind, which then would build up and break as the unexpected arrives, of the murder crime that later occurs within the storyline. The way in which we portrayed the titling was done so creatively in order for it to show the sense of continuity and connection to the clips in the opening. The titling written helps to highlight quite a feminine nature, through the use of the food and make up titling. However, in our sequence we used both on screen text and created visual text which we later evaluated and claimed we could’ve made it better if it was all visual text; this is because it would show a clearer continuity within the scene and make the creativity present all throughout. The lighting effect we used created a traditional look, with its dim lights and the olden sepia effect used. It also suggests the 50s time era, which is when the play is set, which all adds to emphasise the nature of the context. The scene also helps to set an enigma, creating an insight to the movie for the viewer. This helps to make the viewer have predictions on what the movie is about, yet leaving them open-minded. This is effective as it allows the director to subtly add in the shock mood when least expected. The titling scene overall helps to establish the setting of the story especially through the use of props. We used props such as classy wine, candles etc. that were associated to back in the 50s to continue the sense of flow throughout. The use of all that was inputted within the titling helped to suggest the genre of the movie: drama. However it is in fact a crime fiction and this helps to add a dramatic rising to the rest of the movie, as the viewer is left with no assumptions to what is to happen.
BY TEMITOPE SIJUADE
BY TEMITOPE SIJUADE
For this mini project, our task was to create an opening sequence for the short story Lamb To The Slaughter by Roald Dahl. My group planned for the sequence to show the two protagonists apart, and to not show there full faces to show the ambiguity of the characters to indicate to the viewer that the relationship is not a happy one, as the wife adores the husband, however this is not returned.
The music used in the opening sequence, Connie Francis song 'Who's Sorry Now', was used by my group to show the time period the song is set in, however it was also used as it sets the genre, in that it is a tale of romance, however the ending may not be happy due to the connotations of the phrase 'who's sorry now'. The lighting was also used in an attempt to make the piece feel more dated, and to try and make the viewer feel more comfortable in watching this film. However, this is soon contradicted by the titling, as the final words at first indicate that the film is easy-going, however may also be dark due to the font used on the word 'slaughter'. We should have used a more serious font, however, as the word slaughter does have a cartoon feel, and this is something that can be improved on in the future.
To carry on the aged effect, we could have used props which would have been more relevant to the time period, such as the phone which Mrs. Maloney was using, as it was a modern phone. This would be easy to correct. The props were used to create a sense of the wife's adoration of her husband. combining this with the darkness and ambiguous introduction of Mr. Maloney adds to the sense of mystery regarding their relationship.
By using camera shots such as extreme close-ups, we avoided seeing either of the protagonists full faces, meaning real emotions are kept hidden, such as when she calls him 'darling'. This allows a sense of ambiguity, as the story will soon take a twist which shows how there .relationship will not be as happy as first perceived. The ambiguity also creates slight tension, which puts the viewer on edge, as they are unsure on the emotional state of the two characters.
BY SCOTT HUBBARD
The music used in the opening sequence, Connie Francis song 'Who's Sorry Now', was used by my group to show the time period the song is set in, however it was also used as it sets the genre, in that it is a tale of romance, however the ending may not be happy due to the connotations of the phrase 'who's sorry now'. The lighting was also used in an attempt to make the piece feel more dated, and to try and make the viewer feel more comfortable in watching this film. However, this is soon contradicted by the titling, as the final words at first indicate that the film is easy-going, however may also be dark due to the font used on the word 'slaughter'. We should have used a more serious font, however, as the word slaughter does have a cartoon feel, and this is something that can be improved on in the future.
To carry on the aged effect, we could have used props which would have been more relevant to the time period, such as the phone which Mrs. Maloney was using, as it was a modern phone. This would be easy to correct. The props were used to create a sense of the wife's adoration of her husband. combining this with the darkness and ambiguous introduction of Mr. Maloney adds to the sense of mystery regarding their relationship.
By using camera shots such as extreme close-ups, we avoided seeing either of the protagonists full faces, meaning real emotions are kept hidden, such as when she calls him 'darling'. This allows a sense of ambiguity, as the story will soon take a twist which shows how there .relationship will not be as happy as first perceived. The ambiguity also creates slight tension, which puts the viewer on edge, as they are unsure on the emotional state of the two characters.
BY SCOTT HUBBARD
This scene was created by our group in an attempt to envision what the opening sequence to the novella 'Lamb To the Slaughter' would be if it were created into a film. Throughout the title sequence we wanted to create an atmosphere of loving affection which is not reciprocated by the other partner. We wanted to create this atmosphere because it suggests to the audience that the relationship of the two protagonists isn't a healthy one and could lead to disastrous results. We chose to use the song ‘I can’t stop loving you’ by Frank Sinatra for a number of reasons. Firstly we chose it due to the lyrics being relevant to the tone we were trying to create; one of unrequited love. The fact that Frank Sinatra consistently sings the words “I can’t stop loving you” relates to the main character’s undying love for her husband which is one day harshly taken away from her.
The suggestion that she can’t stop loving him indicates that he has possibly left her and she can’t deal with that trauma. This image of unrequited love causes questions to be asked by the audience, such as, “Why did the relationship end?”, “whose fault was it?” and “Why can’t she move on?” We used mise-en-scene to construct the image of a broken relationship that was once strong through the use of props. In one part of the scene we have a high angle shot of a potato being split in half. The potato represents the marriage of the two main characters, and the way it splits signifies the breaking of the marriage. The potato was also used to represent the heart of the main character, the wife. The splitting of the potato embodies the implication that when her husband left her, the wife’s heart was broken in two leaving her unable to cope. The placement of the titling was just as important as any other factor when creating the image of unrequited love in this opening scene. When deciding where to place the casting of Samuel Austen as Mr Maloney we chose to place the actors name on one side of the split potato and the character’s name on the other, we chose to do this as we felt it gave a good representation of the characters split marriage and emotions. The fact that we have split essentially the same person into two identities shows how the wife, who can’t cope with her husband leaving, saw her marriage as the two of them intertwining their souls into one.
BY ADRIAN BAMBUR & SAMUEL AUSTEN
The suggestion that she can’t stop loving him indicates that he has possibly left her and she can’t deal with that trauma. This image of unrequited love causes questions to be asked by the audience, such as, “Why did the relationship end?”, “whose fault was it?” and “Why can’t she move on?” We used mise-en-scene to construct the image of a broken relationship that was once strong through the use of props. In one part of the scene we have a high angle shot of a potato being split in half. The potato represents the marriage of the two main characters, and the way it splits signifies the breaking of the marriage. The potato was also used to represent the heart of the main character, the wife. The splitting of the potato embodies the implication that when her husband left her, the wife’s heart was broken in two leaving her unable to cope. The placement of the titling was just as important as any other factor when creating the image of unrequited love in this opening scene. When deciding where to place the casting of Samuel Austen as Mr Maloney we chose to place the actors name on one side of the split potato and the character’s name on the other, we chose to do this as we felt it gave a good representation of the characters split marriage and emotions. The fact that we have split essentially the same person into two identities shows how the wife, who can’t cope with her husband leaving, saw her marriage as the two of them intertwining their souls into one.
BY ADRIAN BAMBUR & SAMUEL AUSTEN
BRITISH FILM GENRE TITLING PROJECT
Our brief was to study the British film genre and create our own titling sequence based on the common characteristics that are shown within the genre. We were asked to focus significantly on the narrative voice aspect, as it was seen as a very common feature of the British genre. We have been able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of our project, and the challenges of using this specific genre as our final coursework.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Being able to produce a British film opening will be difficult. This is due to the fact that precise and accurate location and characteristics is involved, and unfortunately we don't think we can excel highly in this genre, as we lack some key stereotypical features that is presented within the British film genre.
BY TEMITOPE SIJUADE
- A great strength we noticed that was shown through our british opening, was our variety in camera angles and shots. We managed to highlight and show the aspects of negativity that was portrayed through the visual acting and voice over. We were able to achieve this because we planned out our shots carefully, and thought hard about the effects it would bring to the viewers.
- The score we used as the instrumentals to Eminem's track: Lose yourself. This provided great strength to our opening, as it highlighted an urban and gritty feel to our piece.
- Through the voice over, it significantly showed the emotions of the lead role that we wanted to portray. This was also due to the fact that both the visual acting and voice over corresponded very well alongside each other, understanding wise.
Weaknesses:
- We were challenged with both our voice over and visual shots working well together, in the aspect of continuity and for them to flow well together. In research, we found out that mainly a male actor was known to do the narrative voice overs in urban British filming. Due to the fact we contradicted this stereotype, our alternative using a female role however didn't work out as well as we thought it would effectively.
- In the section of the older lady being afraid of the youth, we found this also being a challenge in order to portray this. It wasn't clearly shown through the shots, only until the voice over was put and the narration stated what was going on.
Being able to produce a British film opening will be difficult. This is due to the fact that precise and accurate location and characteristics is involved, and unfortunately we don't think we can excel highly in this genre, as we lack some key stereotypical features that is presented within the British film genre.
BY TEMITOPE SIJUADE
ROMANTIC COMEDIES TITLING PROJECT
Our Brief was to create a titling sequence in relation to the Romantic Comedy genre. We inputted the common and necessary features into our projects in order to fulfil the brief and create a successful sequence. We also analysed our strengths and weaknesses in this project which would help us decide the best genre to do for our final piece.
Strengths:
>The music, in too deep by sum 41, used set the atmosphere well, as it was upbeat and created a happy, positive atmosphere, and the change in the score signified that the two characters had created a relationship due to the connotations of the genre of music
> The male characters were set up well, as it established them as people who do not take things seriously as well as good friends, the intended effect. the characters are also created as relatable for the viewer, meaning they become more engaged in the film
>We were able to use a variety of camera shots and camera movement
Weaknesses:
>We did not have enough characterisation of the female character, as the main focus in the opening sequence is on the male characters. this makes it difficult for the viewer to understand the character and are not as engaged in the story
BY SCOTT HUBARD
>The music, in too deep by sum 41, used set the atmosphere well, as it was upbeat and created a happy, positive atmosphere, and the change in the score signified that the two characters had created a relationship due to the connotations of the genre of music
> The male characters were set up well, as it established them as people who do not take things seriously as well as good friends, the intended effect. the characters are also created as relatable for the viewer, meaning they become more engaged in the film
>We were able to use a variety of camera shots and camera movement
Weaknesses:
>We did not have enough characterisation of the female character, as the main focus in the opening sequence is on the male characters. this makes it difficult for the viewer to understand the character and are not as engaged in the story
BY SCOTT HUBARD
HORROR TITLING PROJECT
Our brief for the Horror genre was to create an audio only titling sequence on just a black screen. We had to be able to create an effect on the viewers, making them feel scared whilst creating quite a dark and mysterious atmosphere. We've analysed our strengths and weaknesses of our finished piece.
Strengths
Weaknesses
BY TEMITOPE SIJUADE
- The use of the black screen helps to further emphasise a horror themed sequence, and the off edged, scary feeling to the viewer, as they don't know what may suddenly appear
- Throughout the titling sequence, it sustains a constant eerie atmosphere, keeping the viewer attached and focus to the introduction
- The different sounds we incorporated in this piece linked and flowed effectively together which was a success. This smoothness throughout added to the constant eerie atmosphere
Weaknesses
- Although there was a constant successful frightening feeling to our sequence, there was no climax where we could get the viewer to feel scared and highly afraid to what may come next in the film
- The titling font was quite plain and monotonous, therefore we should have put more creativity into it, to further highlight a scary nature through the font design
BY TEMITOPE SIJUADE
THRILLER SCENE PROJECT
Our brief for this project, was to create a thriller scene that incorporated conventions that are associated with the genre. We had to make the viewer feel on edge, with an anxious feeling whilst wanting to know more about what goes on in the scene. We've also analysed the strengths and weaknesses of our project.
Strengths:
BY ADRIAN BAMBUR
- We had an overwhelming sense of mystery, disorientation and confusion which are all major conventions of the thriller genre and are used in almost every thriller film, but to varying levels.
- The protagonist faces death or at least the threat of death which then creates tension within the audience because they may fear for the protagonists life, or they may be nervous to see how and if the protagonist will escape.
- When filming the scene we aimed to make the protagonists reaction to realising he has been kidnapped as realistic and as brutal as possible. This adds a level of realism and believability to the story which then allows the audience to relate to the protagonist.
- Throughout the scene the audience gets to see the story unfold through both the protagonists view and the view of the antagonist, although this is not a common element used in the thriller genre, it allows the audience to see the kidnapping unfold from two different perspectives which creates a level of anticipation as the audience can see the two enemies coming closer to meeting each other.
- When the protagonist wakes up and realises where he is, we used an effect where we overlapped the same scene over one another but with a delay and one of them being translucent. This created a very distorted effect and made the shot of the protagonist very unclear. This effect was perfect for showing the disorientation of the protagonist which helps the audience empathise with him more.
- When the camera is showing the protagonists POV as he walks through the door, you can see in the corner of the shot one of the group members phones lighting the area. Although it is not an obvious error, if the audience saw it, it may cause the scene to be less believable.
- At the end we used a sound effect from youtube of a man screaming because we didn't plan ahead and record our actor doing it. It was very difficult to find a good, realistic sound effect of it, and the one we chose was the best option, but it still didn't fit the scene or the protagonist very well.
- There were a few continuity errors, the most obvious of which was when the camera followed the bloodied weapon, the bathroom door was open, but when the camera follows the antagonist's POV he opens the door again.
BY ADRIAN BAMBUR