RESEARCH: SCOOPIT!

Today I learnt to use Scoopit! which has helped me gather information on cooking programmes and chefs that will help me in my opening video.

Above shows a screenshot of my profile on Scoopit! and lets you see what I've researched and re-scooped on web pages which are related to my film opening.CLICK HERE TO OPEN MY SCOOPIT!

RESEARCH: THE ART OF THE TITLE

Delicatessen

The title sequence for Delicatessen is of - what seems to be - an Italian restaurant. It is clear that it is an Italian restaurant as the type of music that is played throughout is the kind you would relate to in Italy.

The beginning shows a quick clip of a frightened man, trapped in a rubbish bin, with a manic and crazed looking chef standing over him, holding a large knife whilst laughing hysterically. Straight away we realise this is no safe and ordinary restaurant. 
As soon as the clip ends, and the title sequence begins, the Italian music starts playing as the camera zooms into, what looks like, a cheque, with the production cast's names on it.
The camera then pans right, down to another piece of scrap paper, with the name of the cinema on it. After that, it scans over a menu and quickly focuses on an old, dusty and rusty camera, which emphasises the fact that this is an unkept and old restaurant.
Titles are imprinted on different objects and materials such as on menus, table cloths, name labels, wooden rulers, photograph paper.
The part I find most effective during this title sequence is when the camera focuses on a brick with writing on it, which doesn't make sense, until you see the words reflect in the mirror beneath, which make up the words on it.
Lastly, as the camera zooms into the last title edits, the music, which sounds like it's one of those old fashioned records, repeats the same sound over and over again - as if it were a broken record.

Les Bleus de Ramville

The Les Bleus de Ramville opening sequence is about - what looks like - an ice hockey match, including the players getting prepared with their equipment, shots of the actual game, and the reactions of excited and happy supporters, throwing their beer up in celebration which is in slow motion. I feel that the purpose of having their reactions in slow motion is to really emphasise and take notice of how positive the person's mood is. Throughout this opening sequence, the titles are very sharp with perfect timing, and fit extremely well with the props and music. 
The music, seems to somehow have the same rhythm as a fast, heartbeat - caused by adrenaline or tiredness - which could effectively connect with the heartbeats of the ice hockey players and their supporters.

RESEARCH: FILM DISTRIBUTION

In our lesson we looked at how film distributors effectively use P&A to draw their targeted audiences into watching their films. P&A is seen everywhere around us, from adverts on the television, to posters in the street, online websites and social network pages, along with advertisements in newspapers and magazines.

We also observed posters of well-known films such as; Skyfall, Silver Linings and The Fear, and identified the main aspects of how each captures the audiences attention. This can include quotes, captions, reviews, specific well-known actors and the layout and general appearance of the advert.

I had noticed how digital distributers are beginning to use different methods of advertising, such as ‘Aurasma’, which can be found in newspapers and magazines. Aurasma is a small blue box with a white A in the middle of it, which can be found at the top right hand corner of film advertisements. To be able to use it, you have to download the lite app on your iPhone, and hover the camera over the Aurasma box, which will then allow you to view a short video of the film on the screen of your phone. However, this will only be helpful for those who have iPhones, as this app will only work with their phones. Nevertheless, these new ways of publicising the latest films are becoming more and more popular with both the older and younger generations.

During the lesson, we watched the Hobbit trailer 10 days in advance of the release. In the trailer, the producers include well-known faces; such as actors from Lord of the Rings, as audiences will be more likely to watch the film as they will know and recognize the characters from previous films which they have watched. Film distributors do this on purpose as they know it will increase the chances of people viewing the film and/or buying it on DVD.

Besides using familiar characters, Hobbit also creates a vision of our own country, with the untouchable countryside, the spectacular waterfall, and the home-like feel, which we immediately gain from watching the trailer. Visual effects like these are much more likely to attract and gain viewers of the targeted audience.

Aurasma

RESEARCH: TV PROGRAMMES

Today I looked at programmes which relate to the film opening that Esme, Jo and myself are doing which is a comedy based in a restaurant.

Fawlty Towers is a lighthearted comedy which most adults have probably watched before. It connects well with the film opening of 'Zest', seeing as they both have a good sense of humour and is targeted at the majority of age groups, therefore, adults who like Fawlty Towers will most likely also like Zest.

Another well-known comedy I researched was the American sit-com, Friends. This programme is very popular with teenagers and young adults and the fact the actors look fairly young, this will be one aspect which will attract its target audience.

Along with the other two comedies, I looked at the TV programme, My Family. 
My Family is targeted at slightly older audiences, such as 18+, and I would say the humour is a bit more mature compared to the humour in Friends.