Wednesday

Locations And Stuff...

I got some ideas from a few videos for where i want my location to be.

I thought the Arctic Monkeys music video 'A View From The Afternoon'. It's not letting me upload a video so im putting a picture up here instead.


I like this video because it has an urban setting.
I want a flat roof for the end of my opening where my character will be dancing on it. I want it to have a view from it either of London which would be nice, but i think it will also look good it it's an industrial view.
I am in the process of finding my locations, i have a few in mind. I was thinking about a block of flats and an underpass as the main settings... i will blog it when i decide for definate!

Research - Saul Bass

Saul Bass was an American graphic designer and award winning film-maker who made several opening titles sequences to many famous films which have became very much appreciated. He worked alongside many respected film directors such as Alfred Hitchcock (North By North West, Vertigo and Phsyco), Otto Preminger (The Man With The Golden Arm) Martin Scotsese (Casino).
I think Bass's work is really mesmerising with all the lines it feels very hypnotic. They draw you in and make you feel as if you are moving with them. I think a good example of this is North By North West, a comic thriller produced at MGM in 1959.


Bass had become known for using lines and the similar repetitive music in his work. He uses it has become a trademark of his and kind of a statement.
Although most of his title sequences are very similar using moving lines, he creates them so well that it gives the film a certain quality preparing the audience for the film but at the same time not giving too much away.
This is the same as the Psycho opening which was produced in 1960.

I love the way the lines are so symmetrical and the movement is so fluent that it feels as if they're slicing up the screen giving you a very unsettling feeling preparing you for the plot of the film.
Although I am not using animation in my titles sequence I have found it really helpful exploring other techniques that could be used. Looking at Saul Bass’s work has shown me that you can use the most simplest of objects and create a huge impact on the viewer
.

My Initial Ideas

I have been thinking about my opening titles sequence and what my storyline could be. I want it to be something thats quite thought provoking and unexpected. The genre i have chosen is Social Reaslism, i want my opening to feel quite urban and real.
After much thought i came up with an idea where i could possibly have a teenage boy about 16/17 years of age walking to somewhere which is not known to the audience. Your first impressions of the boy is that he is quite troubled and yob-like as he is wearing a tracksuit and has football boots around his neck.
The boy walks past a gang of youths and says hello giving more of an impression of his character.
He eventually gets to the place where he wants to go and puts on his shoes, football boots we think, but he stands up once his shoes are on and starts tap-dancing.
All the time the audience is on the journey with him as i want the camera to walk with him to the place he is going to.
This is my starting point of my storyline and after i do more research i hope my idea will develop some more.

My A/S Media Brief


Welcome to my blog! For this coursework I have chosen to work independently. The brief that has been set is to create an opening title sequence for a fiction film of our choosing. After much deliberation, I have decided to base my opening title sequence on the 'Social Realism' genre, and in particular British social realism. I enjoy social realism films like 'This is England', 'Billy Elliot' and 'Room for Romeo Brass' and wanted to work within a genre different to that of other students. By working on my own, I can drive this creative project forward in my own way.