Title Sequence

This title sequence is from the show Teen Wolf which first aired in 2011 and was renewed for a 6th season in 2015.

Season 5 Title Sequence

Colours
From the beginning you can see that the title sequence is quite dark and only picks out certain colours. One colour I noticed a lot was red.

For example, here in the beginning, you can see it begins with the main character's eye turning red. The red has connotations of danger and also indicates Scott's (the main character) control.

They introduction of these next two main characters also have the colour red. In the above one, the string indicates the parts of the mystery that are unsolved in the season. (Some people also say the red string represents the Red String of Fate from Chinese Legend). Also, the character below has fingernails painted red. I think this is a way of indicating danger whilst also connecting the three main characters.

I found one last example of red being the dominating colour in a shot of the "Dread Doctors" (this season's main villain. The red definitely represents danger and blood here whilst also indicating that the audience should be afraid of this character.

I noticed the only time we see a lot of bright light or colour is of a shot of something that is insinuated to be to do with the "Dread Doctors." As this shot very different from all the others, it brings attention to it and the audience are more likely to take notice of it.

Sound

Throughout the titles, there is music playing. It starts off with a sound that reminds me of a car locking or that sort of thing before getting into the music. The music builds up and adds tension then it changes slightly halfway through. The change kind of speeds it up for a little bit before the music ends. Then it ends with a strange rumbling sort of noise.

There are various sound effects added along with the music. For example, in the transition above, there is a sword sound. It is quite subtle but really emphasises this character's fighting skills. It also, makes the transition more interesting.

During the shot above, there is a sound like steam escaping. This links to the previous shot to some kind of device breaking and steam escaping (it looks like it could measure temperature possibly).

Text & Other

Each shot of a character is paired with the actors' names. The main character is the first thing to appear in the opening titles and also one of the last.

I really like the bit below because it has no text. The audience just focuses on what's actually going on in the shot. The camera shakes a bit which makes the audience think it is from the POV of someone chasing these "Dread Doctors." There is also a quiet rumbling sound which adds to the whole atmosphere.

The last two things we see are the titles in a large font which takes up the whole screen. I think this looks really good because it tells you what the show is without giving away too much about what it is generally about.

The last thing we see is a shot of the villain's "lair" along with the name of the executive producer Jeff Davis. I think this is a really good ending because it gives whoever is watching a clue about the villains and themes of this particular season and it also gives the name of one of the most important people on the show.

I have also found some different versions of the opening titles.

• Season 2 - This one shows how in earlier episodes it was different and how each seasons' opening picks out the villains.
• The Halloween Special - This one has different music which is more fast paced. It also has more of the colour red.

Mise-en-Scene

Mise-en-Scene means 'to put in the scene' in French. Anything the audience can see on the screen is part of it. Mise-en-Scene is generally made up of a few different things;

• Costume. This is what a character wears. It can have a big impact as costume can suggest to things that are otherwise not obvious. For example, if a character is dressed all in black it might mean that he is evil or dark. Costume can also help if you're trying to portray a specific era.
• Location. This is where the filming takes place. It isn't saying what type of place - e.g. a library - it is saying where, e.g. a city.
• Setting. Setting is the specific place - e.g. a school. Setting is very important as it can give clues towards the characters backgrounds, intentions, etc and change the atmosphere of a film. E.g. a graveyard setting would put the audience more on edge than a supermarket.
• Scenery. This is about making a setting look a certain way. E.g. putting fake spider webs in a corner of a room to make it look older.
• Props. Props are used in the set dressing and just generally add to a scene. E.g. having a knife left in room makes the audience wonder whether someone is going to get stabbed or if it is a red herring.
• Lighting. This is how light is used on the things in the shot, for example the characters. Lighting can be used to hide things, e.g. having dim lighting stops the audience seeing all the gore of a dead body but still lets them know the character is dead. Also, it can be used to focus on certain things. For example, chiaroscuro can be used to add eeriness if a character is using a torch in the middle of the night.
• Actors. Casting is very important. Not only do the actors have to have some talent, but they need to properly portray the character to make the audience feel the necessary emotions towards about said character. Also, good casting is key to make sure everyone turns up on time and works well together.
• Framing. Framing is about where the characters and props are within the setting. This is important because the audience need to be able to see exactly what you want them to. Also, framing can be used to make the audience work. E.g. if there is something peculiar in the frame, e.g. a gun, the audience will think about it and wonder whether it will have any relevance to anything or if it's a red herring.

Overall, Mise-en-Scene is very important. This is because it ensures the audience feel what you want them to feel and can make things easier to understand. However, there can be difficulty in making sure that the Mise-en-Scene is correct, which the article we were given went on to explain, but there are solutions. E.g. going to charity shops to get cheaper costumes.

The Hobbit

The Hobbit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit_(film_series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit:_An_Unexpected_Journey

Institutions

Peter Jackson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit_(film_series)
King Kong, The Lovely Bones - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Jackson
Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Zane Weiner, Carolynne Cunningham - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit_(film_series)
The Frighteners, Heavenly Creatures - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Jackson#Filmography
Inception, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros.
$303,003,568 - http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hobbit.htm

Audience

http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/77486/should-i-watch-the-hobbit-trilogy-before-the-lotr-trilogy
PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images. - http://parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/film-info/hobbit-an-unexpected-journey12, moderate violence - http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/hobbit-unexpected-journey-2012-2 
8.0 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/
Charming, spectacular, technically audacious… in short, everything you expect from a Peter Jackson movie. A feeling of familiarity does take hold in places, but this is an epically entertaining first course - http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey
Genre and Conventions

12A, 169 min, Adventure, Fantasy - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary plot element, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic and magical creatures are common. Fantasy is generally distinguished from the genres of science fiction and horror by the expectation that it steers clear of scientific and macabre themes, respectively, though there is a great deal of overlap between the three, all of which are subgenres of speculative fiction. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FantasyTime Bandits, In a Better World - http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/13-movies-to-watch-after-youve-seen-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug.php

Representation

In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit in comfortable middle age at 50 years old, was hired in spite of himself as a "burglar" by the wizard Gandalf and 13 Dwarves led by their king Thorin Oakenshield on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its treasure from the dragon Smaug. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilbo_Baggins
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earth

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."  - https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100828012853AAfs83I

12 Years a Slave

12 Years a Slave

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_Years_a_Slave_(film)

Institutions

Steve Mcqueen - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_Years_a_Slave_(film)

Hunger, Shame - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_McQueen_(director)

Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_Years_a_Slave_(film)

The Departed - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Pitt

Black Swan, 127 Hours - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Searchlight_Pictures

Divergent, That Awkward Moment - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_One

American Pie, Twilight - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summit_Entertainment

$56,671,993 - http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=twelveyearsaslave.htm

Audience

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/01/31/_12_years_a_slave_ad_declares_that_it_s_time_to_see_the_movie_why.html

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/14/12-years-a-slave-box-office-performance

15, strong violence, injury detail, sex, nudity and racist terms - http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/12-years-slave-2013

R for violence/cruelty, some nudity and brief sexuality - http://parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/film-info/12-years-a-slave

And the film captures this. And it is very moving, and is very uncomfortable to the point where it is almost unbearable. But you and I just have to sit and watch it. As far as history is concerned, many had to live it. As far as the present is concerned, many still do. And yet despite this evil tale that the film tells, one cannot leave without realizing that in the midst of it, dare I say, the point of it, is that there is a relentless and unfailing beauty in the story being told; in the history being shown. And one that no amount of evil can take away - http://thoughtcatalog.com/kovie-biakolo/2014/03/why-everyone-should-see-12-years-a-slave/

Intense, unflinching, bold in its simplicity and radical in its use of image, sound and staging, 12 Years a Slave in many ways is the defining epic so many have longed for to examine — if not cauterize — America’s primal wound. - http://www.metacritic.com/movie/12-years-a-slave

Genre and Conventions

15  |  134 min  |  Biography, Drama, History - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024544/

An essential element of historical fiction is a setting located in a temporal past. In this setting, historical fiction frequently portrays the manners and social conditions of the persons or times presented in the story and pays attention to other period details. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_fiction

Solomon Northup's Odyssey, Hunger - http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/12-movies-to-watch-after-youve-seen-12-years-a-slave.php

Representation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Northup

Based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024544/plotsummary

The film tells the horrific true story of free black man Solomon Northup, who was drugged, kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1850s America to suffer years of abuse. - http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/12-years-slave-true-story-2989533

Shutter Island

Shutter Island

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shutter_Island_(film)

Institutions

The Departed, Hugo - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Scorsese

Alison Scott, Bradley J. Fischer, Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shutter_Island_(film)

Holes, Black Swan - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Medavoy

Jack Ryan, Indiana Jones - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_Pictures

$128,012,934 - http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=shutterisland.htm

Audience

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/shutter-island

15, strong language, bloody injury, disturbing images - http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/shutter-island-film

R for disturbing violent content, language and some nudity - http://parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/film-info/shutter-island

8.1 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/

DiCaprio, in his most haunting and emotionally complex performance yet, is the vessel Scorsese uses to lead us through the film’s laby­rinth. - http://www.metacritic.com/movie/shutter-island

Genre and Conventions

15, 138 min, Mystery, Thriller - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/

A thriller provides the sudden rush of excitement, and exhilaration that drive the narrative, sometimes subtly with peaks and lulls, sometimes at a constant, breakneck pace. It keeps the audience on the "edge of their seats", akin to the sensation of hanging from a cliff, as the plot builds towards a climax. Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists, and cliffhangers are used extensively. A thriller is usually a villain-driven plot, whereby he or she presents obstacles that the protagonist must overcome. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre)

Secret Window, Memento - http://itcher.com/mag/good-movies-like-shutter-island/

Representation

https://stefansmovies.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/the-truth-about-shutter-island/

hutter Island is set in the 1950s. During that era, severe mental disturbances were often dealt with physically. In America, more than 40,000 patients were lobotomised over a 30-year period. - http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2010/jul/29/shutter-island-ending

http://screenrant.com/shutter-island-spoilers-discussion-vic-46052/

Taken

Taken

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taken_(film)

Institutions

Pierre Morel - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taken_(film)

District 13, From Paris with Love - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Morel
Lucy, 22 Bullets - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luc_Besson
EuropaCorp, M6 Films, Grive Productions, Canal+, TPS Star, M6, All Pictures Media, Wintergreen Productions, Dune Entertainment - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taken_(film)
Home Alone, Planet of the Apes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_Century_Fox
$145,000,989 - http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=taken.htm

Audience

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/taken#
18, strong violence, torture - http://www.bbfc.co.uk/search/releases/taken
PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language - http://parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/film-info/taken

- I will find you and I will kill you
7.9 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/
Taken is one of the best pure action movies of the last ten years. watching Liam Neeson rip Paris apart as he frantically searches for his daughter is both intense and great fun. Taken is an excellent movie from start to finish - http://www.metacritic.com/movie/taken

Genre and Conventions

18, 93 min, Action, Thriller - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/
A thriller provides the sudden rush of excitement, and exhilaration that drive the narrative, sometimes subtly with peaks and lulls, sometimes at a constant, breakneck pace. It keeps the audience on the "edge of their seats", akin to the sensation of hanging from a cliff, as the plot builds towards a climax. Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists, and cliffhangers are used extensively. A thriller is usually a villain-driven plot, whereby he or she presents obstacles that the protagonist must overcome. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre)
Unknown, Olympus Has Fallen - http://itcher.com/mag/movies-like-taken/

Representation

Bryan "Bry" Mills is a retired CIA operative. After becoming divorced due to the strain his career put on his marriage, he decided that family was more important to him than his job. - http://takenfilm.wikia.com/wiki/Bryan_Mills
Paris - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/locations
The film with its unique action and fast-paced style may be put together for audience consternation and entertainment, but the information behind it is the news of the sex trade that hurts victims and their families that is real. - http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/267290

Gone Girl

Gone Girl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_Girl_(film)

http://www.newyorker.com/books/joshua-rothman/gone-girl-really

Institutions

David Fincher - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_Girl_(film)
Seven, Fight Club - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Fincher
Arnon Milchan, Reese Witherspoon, Ceán Chaffin, Joshua Donen - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_Girl_(film)
Pretty Woman, 12 Years a Slave - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regency_Enterprises
The Maze Runner, Devil's Due - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSG_Entertainment
Home Alone, Planet of the Apes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_Century_Fox
$167,767,189 - http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=gonegirl.htm

Audience

You just have to read this book - http://www.destroythebrain.com/movies/movie-news/book-review-gone-girl-by-gillian-flynn
18, strong bloody violence, very strong language - http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/gone-girl-film
R Rated - http://www.finalreel.co.uk/gone-girl-18-rating-uk-bbfc-guidelines-c-t/

- Gone Girl's Amy Dunne is the Most Disturbing Female Villain of All Time
8.2 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2267998/
Surgically precise, grimly funny and entirely mesmerizing over the course of its swift 149-minute running time, this taut yet expansive psychological thriller represents an exceptional pairing of filmmaker and material - http://www.metacritic.com/movie/gone-girl

Genre and Conventions


18, 149 min, Drama, Mystery, Thriller - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2267998/
A thriller provides the sudden rush of excitement, and exhilaration that drive the narrative, sometimes subtly with peaks and lulls, sometimes at a constant, breakneck pace. It keeps the audience on the "edge of their seats", akin to the sensation of hanging from a cliff, as the plot builds towards a climax. Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists, and cliffhangers are used extensively. A thriller is usually a villain-driven plot, whereby he or she presents obstacles that the protagonist must overcome. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre)
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - http://hclpd.hubpages.com/hub/Movies-Like-Gone-Girl
 It was fast-paced and between the two characters' point of view I started asking myself who was telling the truth? - http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2051002-is-gone-girl-a-mystery-or-a-thriller

Representation

The most dangerous thing about Amy is that she will do absolutely anything, including lying, blackmailing, and even committing murder, to get people to submit to her. She wants to see Nick on death row for cheating on her, tries to control her neighbors at the cabin complex when she runs away, and kills Desi so she can pin her disappearance on him. - http://www.shmoop.com/gone-girl/amy-elliott-dunne.html Nick's relationship with Amy is the most critical factor in his journey as a character. Nick tells us that he initially fell in love with Amy because she was fun. She was funny. She made me laugh. Somewhere along the line, though, things changed. The laughter stopped. She got distant and moody, became a pile of skin and soul on the floor - http://www.shmoop.com/gone-girl/nick-dunne.html
http://www.shmoop.com/gone-girl/nick-dunne-timeline.html
http://www.shmoop.com/gone-girl/amy-elliott-dunne-timeline.html
http://blog.booma.us/north-carthage-missouri-gillian-flynns-gone-girl/
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-message-of-Gone-Girl
http://whatculture.com/film/ending-gone-girl-really-mean.php

Frozen

Frozen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_(2013_film)

Institutions

Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_(2013_film)#Production

Tarzan, Surf's Up - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Buck

Wreck-It Ralph (Writer) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Lee_(filmmaker)

Producer - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Del_Vecho

The Lion King, Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Studios_Motion_Pictures

$400,738,009 - http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=frozen2013.htm

Audience

This is a CGI animated action-comedy that will be enjoyed by children of all ages - http://www.childmags.com.au/family/entertainment/6056-movie-review-frozen

PG - http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/frozen-2013

Memorable songs, Brilliant side characters, Princesses - http://whatculture.com/film/8-reasons-frozen-best-disney-film-generation.php

Frozen, for all its innovations, is not fundamentally revolutionary. Its animated characters are the same familiar, blank-faced, big-eyed storybook figures. But they are a little more psychologically complex than their Disney forerunners - http://www.metacritic.com/movie/frozen-2013/critic-reviews

Genre and Conventions

PG, 102 min, Animation, Adventure, Comedy - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/

Tangled, Finding Nemo, Ice Age, The Lion King, Aladdin - http://blog.peopleschoice.com/2014/04/10/movies-like-frozen/

Frozen doesn’t have a typical villain,a twist to the usual romantic subplot, girls do like the Disney Princesses, and Frozen’s got not one but two of them - http://www.vulture.com/2014/01/why-is-frozen-such-a-big-hit.html

Representation

http://frozen.disney.com/characters

Frozen takes place in a fictional land based on the country of Norway. The art directors for “Frozen” spoke in great detail about all of the design inspirations their team drew from. Once they settled on a Scandinavian setting, they quickly zeroed in on Norway as the basis of the fictional land of Arendelle. Being big on research, they visited Norway and came away with several big takeaways that became a huge influence on the look of “Frozen.” The most obvious of which are the beautiful Fjords of Norway which feature prominently in all of the landscapes we’ve seen in the promotional material. This was the highlight of the footage we were shown. Gorgeous design. - http://www.insidethemagic.net/2013/11/6-surprises-i-learned-about-frozen-fresh-from-filmmakers-at-walt-disney-animation-studios-preview-event/

Your actions affect others, The need for self-control, The power of sacrifice, Don't judge a book by its cover, Love takes time and is built upon sacrifice and caring -http://ok.com/article/88211/5-moral-lessons-from-disneys-frozen