Title Research: Split

Retrieved from: Art of the title website.
Movie: Split (2017)
Genre: Horror

• How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? 

There are 18 titles to the opening sequence, the last title always being directed by.

• What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? 

First, they make it apparent that someone is being kidnapped as it quickly cuts to a black screen after that. Then, the studio name "Universal Studios" appears directly after. The kidnapping sets the mood for what's to come in the film/ what to expect. Then, the audience is given a blurry sneak peak of what's happening to an individuals body, being laid on a hospital bed, having their body placed properly, as if dead/assumed dead.

• What connotations do the images carry? 

The images carry a sadistic and creepy feeling with them. It gives a gut feeling that something is going wrong/ about to happen. The glitchy titles add to this connotation of creepiness and unsettling behavior. 

• How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?

The music that plays through the opening sequence of the film is eerie and adds to the horror genre. The conventional codes of a horror are followed through the dim lighting of the outset along with the mysterious energy that is meant to perplex the audience on the situation, giving little details to add to the whole storyline. 

• How does the film establish an enigma from the outset? 

It's established through the use of certain camera angles and shots. The beginning POV offers a sudden realization to the audience of being kidnapped. The enigma that surrounds horror is the idea of going into the unknown which is clearly established as the audience does not realize what is happening. The distant long shot that is made blurry os mean to confuse the audience further of what they're seeing. 

• What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 

The opening sequence taps into the audiences emotions to propel this sense of unknown fear from the kidnapping. The film intends an older audience because this genre is targeted towards that crowd with its gruesome and unsettling atmosphere. The audience is targeted through their interests, therefore horror, fear/ thrill or being scared. 

• How has technology been used effectively? 

A major technology applied is the use of editing. The editing for the titles in the film in the glitchy format added to the "split" effect, hence the title of the movie. The titles were repeated on the screen several times until it singled out the one word/name. The camera angles were crucial as well. The POV was eye-opening in the first half as it effectively grabbed the audiences attention. Then it cuts to an individual positioning a body in a specific manner, but kept blurry/out of focus to the audience. This effectively made the audience curious and suspicious of the activity happening. 

Title Research: Watch the Titles Website

Watch the titles website goes more in depth on the placement of titles and how they appear. I would use this website to understand how to locate my titles throughout the opening scene of my project. The directed by is always the last title to be shown from the opening scene. Therefore, I would make sure my name appears last. The title of the movie is also important in how it appears. If its an action film, the title of the movie can appear from the barrel of a gun. Titles can be a resemblance of what the movie is. Horror films can be gruesome, with blood dripping down the letters. The fonts go hand in hand with this as well, as they can match the genre. The titles usually come in as a fade in and fade out or they can dissolve in. There's many ways to edit the titles in the film. Most titles appear in the order of importance. The actors will be priority, along with edited by, and produced by. It is very important to make sure the titles come by the order of importance so the audience see's the mention-able individuals. So overall, this website will be very useful to guide me through this project.  

Title Research: Art of the Title website

Art of the title website offers a variety of example films and their titles. The titles all have different fonts, color schemes and sizes which help me to understand why certain titles are used. I'm looking at this site because it is very informative to know the styles of titles. I noticed how the comedies have more upbeat, colorful titles. The horrors have a more gruesome approach to them, dark and timid. The title images allow the audience to know what they are going to watch, without knowing the title or genre. The titles therefore, capture the genre through its formatting. The backgrounds also correlate with what the genre is, along with the title. The title is supposed to provoke an emotion or feeling in the first few seconds of the opening. By doing so, the audience is connected to their feelings and what to expect. This website is very helpful to understand emotions and feelings. I noticed that the titles has some special fonts involved too. The titles correlated with the action of the film, or some sort of correlation to what the movie may be about. The titles can be of all different shapes and sizes to get the audiences attention. therefore, this website will be useful to understand how to format my titles.  

Genre Research: US

The film: US

Camera angles/movements/shots:A lot of aerial's, two-shots, and extreme close-up/close up. The aerial was used to show how much clones there actually was and the chain they were creating. The most predominant shot used a two-shot because, most of the movie just showed someone and their clone fighting. The the extreme close-up and close ups were used to show to makeup on the clone's face or get someone's expression.

CLAMPS:

COSTUMES of the main characters were in casual clothes, while the clones were in red jumpsuits.

LIGHTING in the beginning of the movie was very light, in order to showcase the normalcy that the family that the family was experiencing. At times the lighting would get darker whenever one of the clones appeared.

ACTING in the film was very impressive. This was a movie that involved the topic of evil clones, meaning the characters had to take on two different roles that were the complete opposite of each other.

MAKEUP in the film was very heavy. The clones of main characters all had to have this malnourished, pale, an dirty look. In order to achieve this, the makeup artists had to give them hollow-looking cheeks and off white powder to look like dust/dirt.

PROPS in the film were big scissors that each of the clones were carrying around, and weapons like knifes and a fireplace poker the family used to defend themselves.

SETTING of the film was in several places like, the lake house they were vacationing at, which was in a semi-populated woodland area. An amusement park, which was on the beach. Lastly, the hideout that the clones were stationed in, which was underground.

Editing: The main editing that was done was double role editing. This is act of making it look like there are twin-like versions of that one person by using someone else who is similar in looks.

Sound: The main sound that was used was the struggling noises the clones were making due to their difficulty in speaking and regular communication. The music that played was a classical version of many popular songs like "5 On It". This was used to create ominous scary feeling throughout the movie, and add action to certain scenes like the ballet fight scene.

Elements: The elements of this film include the double role editing, the costumes and makeup used.

Elements that appeal: The think the idea of not making the clones look exactly like the main characters was unique because, it goes against the typical "evil clone" plot, when one is trying to take another place. It shows that even though the clones want to get rid of their look like-alike, they don't want to be them. Another element that appeals to me is, the fact that you have to pay attention to detail because, the smallest things in the beginning came back and that basically determined the ending of the movie.

Elements that don't appeal: At the beginning of the the movie, the mother obviously very uncomfortable going to her family vacationing home but, they never explained why. I felt like that information left out could've been very crucial to the story.

Genre Research: 47 Meters Down

The film: 47 Meters Down

Camera Angles/Movements/Shots: A film like this requires a various amounts of different camera shots to prefect.  The three most often used are the birds eye view shot from above the water surface to see all the action going on beneath the water.  The close ups to have a better view of the characters trapped in the cage at the bottom of the ocean.  Wide shots are also used a various amounts of time when filming the scenes with the shark swimming around the cage that the humans are trapped in, so the viewers can view both sides of the action.

CLAMPS:

COSTUMES of the characters in this film were typical everyday clothes during the opening and closing scenes of the movie.  The majority of the film was spent underneath the ocean with the characters wearing bathing suites and scuba tanks.

LIGHTING was very dim throughout the entire movie, the ocean water was cold, which made the lighting dark and gloomy.

ACTING in a movie like this takes a lot of skill and profession because their wasn't too much communication and talking going on so its based on facial expressions and signals.

MAKEUP was used to add effects to the people for example cuts, bruises, and blood.

SETTING of the film takes place on a boat in the Dominican Republic.

Editing:  The shark and all of the effects added under the water.

Sound: The loud winds and strong waves pushing against the cage under the water and the boat.

Elements found in movie: The suspense, lack of communication, and insane turn of events

Elements that don't appeal: Their were no crazy made up creatures or people with monsters.

  

Genre Research: A Quiet Place

The film: A Quiet Place

Camera angles/movements/shots: A lot of the angles are close-ups and many low shots. The low shots capture the feet of the characters who are all barefoot to reduce sound. Close-ups of the characters face are used to capture the emotions and feelings of the characters without having to rely on sound. Tracking shots followed the characters through their journey when they went out for supplies. Pan shots captured the area they resided in as well.

CLAMPS:

COSTUMES of the characters were raggedy clothing that were mostly worn our or dirty looking. Their clothing were dull colors as well to blend in with the setting of their environment. The 'monsters' in the film were gruesome looking with no eyes but could hear very well. Their bodies were done with special effects/SFX.

LIGHTING was very dim throughout the film to add to the ominous atmosphere. The only bright lights resided out in the field/farm that overlooked the wheat.

ACTING in the film followed something our of the norm. None of the actors could verbally communicate with each other so they relied on sign language. Each of them knew their duties in the household and followed a routine.

MAKEUP in the film was very light. The actors had a "dirty' look, such as dirty or grime from the outdoors.

SETTING of the film was in a wooded, deserted and isolated area. The home of the family was at a farm with a house tucked away in the back. The area must have been a deserted town with no one else in sight.

Editing: The major editing done was the use of "no sound" through the film. All sounds were prerecorded in a studio to imitate the sounds the actors were doing to sound authentic.

Sound: The sound, or lack there of, was all done in studio. The sounds of the monsters were recorded using various object like coils. The music that played was very low but trilling to capture the atmosphere of the film. Loud hums echo in various parts of the film but especially towards the end.

Elements: The elements of this film include the basis of a "no talking script". The situation: don't make a sound or the monsters will get you. They also include special effect sounds as an element to their horror to add to the intensity.

Elements that appeal: The concept of no talking is definitely a major point in the film that sets it apart from the norm. It makes the audience bring it's full attention to every movement and action, all while seeing the actors communicate through sign language and non-verbal cues.

Elements that don't appeal: The beginning of the movie had one of the sons, the youngest boy, killed off right away which didn't appeal to me. The "monsters" were barely visible until the end which seemed to drawn out.

Genre Research: 13 Cameras

The film: 13 Cameras

Camera angles/movements/shots: A lot of the angles are high angles and most of the shots were close-ups. The angle help contribute to the cameras and how they were position to spy on the victims. The close-ups showed the characters reactions to things. There were other shots used in this film such as, wide shots, two person shots, over the shoulder shots, hand held, POVs, and low angle shots.

CLAMPS:

COSTUMES for the characters were mostly modern everyday clothes but for the "stalker" his attire ripped up, raggedy, worn out clothes.

LIGHTING alternated depending on the setting. In the house the lighting came from lamps and house lights, when the setting switched to the footage room it was just computer lights projecting onto his face making him look sketchy. In the basement he used these types of tool lights which made the place look dim. and the also used natural lighting or porch lighting for the outdoor scenes

ACTING for the characters was very normal except for with the "stalker", his behavior differed with the rest of them. He often acted very strange and barely spoke and was very creepy.

MAKEUP set apart the tenants from the stalker. The stalker often looked dirty and the other characters were well put together.

SETTING is in California when a married couple expecting a child moves from New York into a new house that is rigged with cameras all around by the home owner. Most of the scenes take place in the house of in the yard some in the stalkers " footage room".

Editing: They used a lot of transition in this film. There mostly jump cuts. They mostly made these transitions using the similarity in sounds. 

Sound: There is a variety of sounds such as natural noises like wind and trees rustling. And there was music that would intensify the feeling of the audience by letting them know something was about to happen. There were also similar sounds making transitions better.

Elements: The elements in this film were the constant transitions from the tenants in their house to the stalkers footage room to show what is happening in the house and how he reacts to it.

Elements that appeal: I liked the fact that they used actual spy cameras to capture the reality of the man filming them and alternating between the spy cams and the actual cameras because it shows us that they're unaware that they're being watched.

Elements that don't appeal: There were times that the stalker would go into the house to set up cameras and fix up the basement but when he did he would feed the dog burgers which I think was unnecessary because it made the dog sick and the tenants worried.