Today we began storyboarding! We watched the opeing sequence of The Brother's Grimm and estimated how many frames this would be on a storyboard. From this we were able to deduce that our storyboard should feature approximately 25 frames. Progress on the storyboard will be documented here as it develops! :)

There were many aspects to take into consideration when trying to decide upon the target audience of our film.

We decided that the film would be aimed prodominently at females, since the protagonist is female, and as such would appeal primarily to a female audience. However, we won't completely be excluding men from viewing the film because that would not be lucrative and there are aspects to the plot and film, like actions scenes when the protagonists is trying to escape drug lords, that would be appealing to males.

In regards to age, we thought that 18-25 year olds would be a good target age group to cater to for a number of reasons. Firstly, since the female lead of the film is roughly this age. Secondly, people aged this approximately are the core cinema goers, and will most likely be the main people to view the film. Thirdly, in regards to the content of the film; maybe I'm reading too much into this here, but, with the plot of the film, being what it is, the latter part of the film may have featured scenes of drug use, and handling of drugs, and as such would not be appropriate for audiences under the age of 18.

As our film is intended to be highbrow, like the film 'Brick' which is one of our main influences, then it would attract a middle and upper-middle classed audience which is why my partner and I were stumped a bit when it came to defining the ethnicity of our target audience. Additionally we decided, prior to defining target audience, that one of us would play the part of the protagonist as this way we would be able to film in our free periods and media lessons without having to wait for a time that was also convenient for the actor. However, we realise now that if Marina or I play the part then the cast wouldn't ethnically reflect the target audience.

Subsequently, we informed our friend Katie of our predicament and she was happy to help, and would serve as a better magnet to attract the target audience we defined.

Conclusively, our primary target audience are middle/upper-middle classed females aged 18-25.

In many ways, the opening sequence of a film is like a starter of a meal. It gives you a taste of, and hopefully prepares you for, good things ahead. Therefore, opening sequences, just like starters, should leave the audience wanting more, not overindulge, just expectant – because, of course, there is still the main course and desert to come!

The opening sequence should present the audience with the main character and/or characters of the feature. Establish the genre of the film and display the film’s main credits; it’s title, key production members and principal cast members.
Each of these aspects can be presented in intriguing and imaginative ways, and this is what potentially makes a great opening sequence. I will be analysing the presentation of the opening sequence of ‘Office Space’ (1999).

The ‘20th Century Fox’ trademark logo opens the film. This may, to the bigger movie fan, endorse the quality of the feature to come. ‘20th Century Fox’ is one of the six major American film studios, responsible for producing hit after hit with films such as, the unforgettable Romeo + Juliet (1996), Independence Day the highest grossing film of 1996, and the phenomenal Titanic (1997).

Non-diegetic sound, in the form of Perez Prado’s - Mambo #8, is played during the opening scene. The transition between the various camera shots of traffic are synchronised with the tempo of the music, detracting from the reality of the scene. The song is upbeat, funky and invigorating; making toe tapping inevitable. This energetic track captures the audience’s attention instantly and gives an impression towards the tone of the film. The music makes light of a situation that we can all identify as real and frustrating, thus making it integral to the comedic atmosphere of the scene; as without it - for example with the sound muted - the comedic value of the scene is diminished. Conclusively, Office Space demonstrates music is vital during the opening sequence as it reaffirms to the audience the genre of the film, in this case – comedy.

The typeface used to display the key production details confirms the movie genre suggested by the soundtrack. The font features no serifs and as such is informal, friendly and open. It even has a playful aspect to it as it resembles ‘bubble’ writing. The blue colour of the font adds to its affability, particularly since blue has connotations with calm, harmony, tranquillity and confidence. In high contrast to, for example, the Harry Potter typeface which is dark and dangerous and leaves the audience in anticipation, possibly on edge about the uncertainty approaching. Overall Office Space’s font style and colour represents the genre of the film as comedic and sets the tone as calm and relaxed.

In conclusion there are many aspects that are integral to making a good and successful opening sequence. Office Space’s opening sequence ticks all the boxes as it clearly illustrates to the audience, that the film is a comedy, and displays the production details, cast members, main characters and title of the film. In relation to my introductory analogy, this opening sequence is a very successful starter as it leaves the audience hungry for more!

The set brief for our Video project is to create the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes. This blog will document the pre-production, production and evaluation stages of this project.