Representation: Catch me if you can Opening Sequence

1. In the opening sequence to 'Catch me if you can' what or who is being represented is somewhat obscure, as the while opening sequence is animated. If watched closely some hints are given to the plot but still the characters themselves aren't introduced only the actor names.
2. The way in which this film is being represented is not to give away any of the twists in the story line or any of the main events but it gives 'tasters' of the story to come luring the audience to continue watching.
3. The representation isn't made to be 'true', 'common-sense' or 'natural' it is to intrigue the audience. To introduce the cast and crew subtly. In some ways this is 'true' as it represents the overall theme of the film as unrealistic and unlikely but as it is based on a true story this just makes the opening sequence ever more vital to conceal the plot.
4. In this opening there are no stereotypes portrayed as such but the two characters it focuses on (the apparent detective and the individual man) there is an idea given that the man running away is the 'good guy' and the detective is the 'bad guy' giving away some detail of the story line.
5. There are two characters that are mainly foregrounded. The Inspector and the criminal. Some events that occur throughout the film are being backgrounded. The notable absence is the fact that it is all animated not allowing the audience to see the actor/characters faces.
6. There is not a particular representation shown but the audience is shown the interests of the main character that throughout the film cause him problems and are the focus of the main plot.
7. The audience can make easy sense of the representation being shown. It dosn't go by many codes, it dosn't connect to Mulvey's code but it has some hidden images and meaning connecting to Barthes concept of myth. The concept of myth is simply is using hidden messages/metaphores to help us make sense of our experiences. In a way the fact that the main character although clever and manages to out smart the authorities of the world is still only a teenager. Also the fact that his father later on in the film looses all sourses of income just adds to the irony. The opening sequence is vital for setting the scene for this film as the story line is long and can be quite slow if you have no idea of the plot. The opening gives the audience a insight into the films plot and basic charatcer personalities.
8. The whole idea for the animated opening it a symbol for the film. As in the storyline the main character hides from the detective and manages to ivade him many times, so by animating the opening sequence it is almost hiding the main character from the audience. It puts particular influence on the relation ship between the detective and the main character this shows a deeper meaning that simply 'cop chasing criminal' there is a hidden plot that just enhances the original plot.
9. The overall direction for the film is froward! By making the opening sequence almost like an animated short on its own it compells the audiece to contiue watching to discover the different twists and turns in the story line. Also there is no dialogue adding to the almost tension built up by the animation. This onece again sparks the audiences curiosity to find out more and watch.
10. I think the meaning of this film has been recieved though a preferred reading, as the opening sequence is meant to be understood. The makers of the film deliberately done this as the film becomes more complex as it progresses. By adding the initial understanding of the plot, this safe guards the audiece's perception for the continuation of the film. This is a 'bombproof' way of opening a film as the audiece isnt thrown in at the deep end but more like given an idea to make it grow and develop thoughout the film and as it progresses they add on links between charatcers and events building a mental image. 

'Forest Escape' Film Genre Pitch

Original ideas

Forest Esacpe Genre Film Pitch

Opening sequence story board

Genre: Action/Adventure for a young audience

Narrative: Two children are playing in a park. when the mum is distracted they notice something in the forest. They follow it and it leads them into a magical land. But as time progresses they realise the plan of Evil Serpent and they have to fight for their life to get back home. Along the way they meet many friends and have a great adventure.

Characters:

The two children: Alfie and Lisa (brother and sister)

The Bad Guy: Evil Serpent

His Sidekick: Roofus

Their mum

The magical fairy that helps them: Leona

and varius other background characters that the childern meet.

Setting: The majority of the film is set in the forest and a small amount in the playground in the opening sequence. In the forest there are various locations such as the evil serpents cave, the palace and other locations the children come across along the way.

Target Audience: 6-10 year olds

Producer Reaction: We got mostly yes and one no. Our pitch went very well with our idea sheet and story board (above). It could have been improved in some aspects such as we could have researched possible actors, soundtracks and other films in more detail. I've learned that the more planning you do the better, also to really go into depth with every aspect of the project.

High Budget Film vs Low Budget

Brick (2005)

Main Institution: Focus features and Bergman Lustig Productions  

Budget: $475,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $83,574 (USA) (2 April 2006)

Gross: $2,060,589 (USA) (9 July 2006)



 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Main Institution: Focus features and Studio Canal 

Budget: £20,000,000(estimated)

Opening Weekend: £2,814,860 (UK) (18 September 2011) (382 Screens)

Gross: $39,694,989 (Worldwide) (14 January 2011)

Focus Features

Focus features as an institution has dealt in a wide range of films from high budget films such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on a budget of £20,000,000 and Atonement on a budget of $30,000,000 to lower budget films such as The Ground Truth:After the killing ends at a budget of $12,207 and On a clear day at a budget of $17,303. In Both High and Low budget films focus have become popular and thrived earning many awards for both high and low budget films.

Bergman Lustig Productions

Bergman Lustig Productions have only ever made one film which is Brick, at a low budget of $475,000.

Studio Canal

Studio Canal has been involved with a large variety of films ranging from high to low budget. But as an older company they don't produce many new films but when they do they are hight budget such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with a massive buget of £20,000,000 and has won many awards.

Similarities and differences 

Differences:

• Brick has two institutions working on it, one very sucessful (Focus Features) and the other (Bergman Lustig Productions) which is much less sucessful.
• TTSS has two very large scale institution working whith it (Focus Features and Studio canal)
• TTSS was advertised much more due to the large budget and gross, making it a more popular film.
• Brick is very low bughet and didn't even hit cinemas
• The difference in buget between TTSS and Brick is huge.

Similarities:

• Both films are non-fiction
• With both films the gross out-weighs the budget
• Both are co-produced by Focus Features

The three institutions Focus Features, Studio Canal and Burgman Lustig Productions the main genre of films made are non-fiction or historical.

Sleepy Hollow Opening Sequence Barthes' 5 narratiative code



• Who are the people signing the last will and testoment?
• Who are the 'Van Garrets'?
• Who is the man killed at the beginning?
• Why is there pumpkin scarecrow?
• Who is Ichabod Crane?
• Where is Sleepy Hollow?
• Who is the Murderer?

Action Code

• Pumkin scarecrow getting blood splattered on face
• Wax being melted, looks like blood
• Family crest in wax 
• Carriage driver and man in carriage has head chopped off
• Setting the Cardinal Free from the cage
• Heads cut off but not found, only body.
• Trvelling though dark and eerie country side, where is he going?

Semiotic Code

• Clothing suggests 1700-1800's
• Carriage shows power, weath 
• Family crest signifies history
• Weather-Dark, Gloomy suggests mystery and horror 
• Overcast sky
• Colours are plain and flat, no bright colours singifies fear
• Scars on Ichabod's had suggests bad memories, past
• Pumpkins associated with halloween, horror, fear
• Lighnening signifies uncertanty and unrest

Cultural Code

• Builds on our knowelege of the killings and the families
• First Killing shows how the murderer exhists

1. Pumpkin Head on Scarecrow with blood splatter
2. Improtant family member being killed
3. Ichabod using new methods in the court

Symbolic Code

• Pumpkin representing halloween
• Horseman reperesenting fear and unrest in the community of sleepy hollow
• Ichabod representing justice and reality

Lesson 1 Film Opening Sequences Notes

Se7en Opening Sequence:
The opening of se7en has an immdeiate effect on the audience and quickly establishes that it is of a horror/thriller genre. The flashing images of sinister looking sketeches of the human anatomy and followed by the clip of someone holding a razor blade cutting off fragments of skin from the tips of their fingers exagerates the genre fully. This is continued into shots of a hand writing an cutting up photos of people, negative film strips and using a marker to 'scribble' over a photo of a young boy. further more images flash up of people and the hands seem to be making something with the varoius photos and writing. Also emphasis is put on the hand cutting out the word 'god' and the lyrics at the very end of the music say "you bring me closer to god" by now th audience is fully aware that the fim ahead will be disturbing to watch but it leaves a curiosity behind to find out what this person is creating.
Thoughout the whole opening thing the names of all the main actors and members of the crew such as the music composer, producers and the director last. The font used looks almost hand written and is animated in such a way that it is on old film and fragments are caught on the film making it look vintage and old fasioned. This gives the audience another insight into when the film is set. This old feeling is also emphasized by the sepia effect added to the clips themselfs.

Austin Powers Opening Sequence:
The opening sequence of Austin Powers, the spy that shagged me almost instatanously establishes the comedy genre.What immediately strikes the audience and quite frankly shocks the audience is Austin Powers is naked. This is unconventional but is also some what conventional of the comedy genre. Many comedy films start out with a dilema or the introduction of the main character who is also the main source of houmour. The lead role is normally has a big, bold personallity that often leads them to their demise. There are various shots of the naked Austin but his genitals have been 'censored' so to say by some very appedly placed objects and text,which only add to the houmour. Many peoples reactions are caputured from the shockled expressions of the people who havent been to the hotel before and the dis-concernof the people who work at the hotel expressing that this is a regular occurrence. Alike to many film opening sequences the names of the main actors and various mambers for the crew are displayed. The font used is very retro and 60's ephasizing the happy, bubbly feel of the film. The text is displayed in an aray of colours and sizes and have been animated to 'bounce' and 'flex' around the screen. Not only are the colours of the text bold but the hotel is full of colour. It looks like the producer has deliberately edited the contrast and brightness to make these colours stand out. Also the set has been made to have bright coloured flowers and crazy coloured funiture, not to mention the walls are white/cream putting even more empasis on the colours.

Goldfinger 007 Opening Sequence:
The Goldfinger opening sequence is in the classic 007 style. Women, explosions and guns. This style is a somewhat tradition of the James Bond world. The opening consists of women wearing what looks like full body skin suits on a black background. Whist various clips of the following fim is projected onto them. It looks like quite a slow paced opening sequence with the hit 'Goldfinger' sung by the one and only Shirly Bassey and slow smooth camera movements. But this is contrasted by the clips of action being projected onto the women. The names of alot of the actors and many of the cast and crew are in a very simple white font. This puts more empasis on the backgound and what is being shown, and it shows the simplicty of the opening with great effect. When each actor name is displayed on screen a clip from the film is projected, this is nice for the audience as even before the film they know who is playing who and it gives great credit to the actors themselfs. This opening is very conventional of the 007 trademark but has some unconventional and individual elements that make it unique among others.

The skin I Live in Opening Sequence:
The opening sequence to the The skin i live in is some what obscure. No cast and crew names are shown and there is no obvious music. From what the audience can tell is there is a young woman living inthe lower levels of what looks like a quite large house. She is dressed in a full body skintone suite and she seems to be making something by cutting up her clothing. the other character you see in the opening sequence is an older woman. She brings the young woman food via a food lift. This alone gives a hint that the young woman has no contact with the outside world so to say. Also the older woman seems to be fed up with the younger woman. You can see the older woman preparing somesort of medicine for the younger woman and you can tell by the contents of her food that it is very minimal and out of the ordinary. Overall the opening dosn't give much of an idea to the film ahead and simply introduces the characters.

Genre Photos

Van Helsing Opening Sequence Homework