Research For The Final Task By Sankofa Benzo & Bianca Bastien

Questionnaire

Questionnaire

Audience Analysis From our analysis, we found that teenagers mostly preferred action movies but are open to subcategories such as romance and comedy. They value the plot the most and the actors barely affect their decision on whether they will give their attention to the movie. The director of the genre does not serve in piquing their interest in a film. While the audience has varying opinions on the genre of a movie that reflects on what they want to see in an opening scene. Those who prefer action would like to see a high paced, action havey scene in which killing and maiming occurs. The participant who prefers romance would love to see a wedding scene as the opening scene and the participant who prefers comedy would like to see the embarrassment of parents or any other adult figure. From this I can infer that the majority of the audience prefers a fast paced opening rather than a slow build up.

Notes on Film Openings “Coraline (2009)” Starts with very dark and suspenseful music. The music gets louder as the opening continues.(non- diegetic). Humming can be heard during the title sequence and the making of the doll. Point of view of the handler while she is rearranging the doll. Mostly close ups (close up shot & extreme close up) of the handler transforming the old doll into a new one. Dim lighting but brightly lit on the doll and the handler’s hand. Soft, green lighting. Use of foreshadowing - the doll looks like Coraline. The sound of sewing and filling up the doll can be heard.

Notes on Film Openings “The Butterfly Effect (2004)” Opens with a quote of Chaos Theory, in relation to the butterfly effect. Dark setting - The bright color of the man’s shirt (light blue) contrasts to the dim lighting. Starts with upbeat/suspenseful music (non-diegetic). Fast pace and heavy breathing while talking (diegetic). Close up shots and medium shots of the main character. Insert shot of the letter the man is writing in a hurry “save her” - foreshadowing. Introduces the title of the movie with fluttering butterflies incorporated into a brain.

Notes on Film Openings “Get Out (2017)” Wide establishing shot of neighborhood The beginning starts with one of the characters coming into the camera view and having a conversation on the phone (diegetic). Dark setting - Night, use of natural lighting (street lights). Mostly close up shots (close up shots and medium shots) of the character. The camera follows the man walking (tracking shot). Music comes from the car (diegetic which turns to non-diegetic). The sound of a violin starts off slow and progressively gets quicker.

Conclusion - Film Openings Moreover, the two films, “Coraline” and “Get Out” introduced the scene in a slow and suspenseful pace, while “The Butterfly Effect” was quick in involving the audience in the action. All three films were categorized under thriller, and ranged from more specific themes such as Dark Fantasy, Mystery, and Sci-Fi. They used dark lighting and upbeat music to convey intensity and an eerie tone. In “Coraline,” the scene is in the point of view of the handler, or the puppet master trying to lure Coraline to a parallel world, where Coraline only belongs to her. The opening scene follows the transition of an old doll into it now resembling Coraline, which we find out at the end of the 2-minute opening. The film used the colors green and yellow as symbol of the handler’s, or the Other Mother’s deceitful and greedy nature. It did not touch up on the plot, but it established the theme of the movie. The non-diegetic music was hollow and soft but increased the pace when it fades in to the doll. Light humming could be heard, but it was not confirmed if it was part of the music or it was the Other Mother, while she sewed her doll.

Conclusion - Film Openings In “The Butterfly Effect,” it opens to a dark room, and the main character, Evan, running into the scene. He blocks entrances to the office revealing his fear or rush; he does not want to be caught by the the men scoping around in the background. The non-diegetic music is fast paced along with Evan’s hurry to write in his notebook. His light blue shirt contrasts to the dull office he is hiding in. This gave background information of the main character and what challenges he will face in the future. The insert shot of the phrase ‘Save her’ reveals the reason for his jittery and uncalm nature. In “Get Out,” it took longer for the opening to get to the action and suspense. The main character is seen having a phone call in the middle of the night, while a suspicious car follows behind him. This conveys intensity and foreshadows that something bad will happen to the man. The action soon follows up, when the music progressively increased. It started of as a diegetic soundtrack coming from the driver’s car, but then it shifts to non-diegetic when the mysterious driver puts the man in a headlock.

Films That Influenced Me The three films that influenced us were “Coraline”, “Get Out” and “The Butterfly Effect”. The speed of “The Butterfly Effect” was fast, however it was understandable and created such suspense to draw the audience in. In our film, we hope to keep the audience engaged with a fast pace but keep it concise. The opening of “Get Out” inspired us to transition from diegetic sound to non-diegetic. We feel as though it will help the audience feel as though they are in the film. Also, the use of natural lighting would help the scene feel more natural. In “Coraline” the minor sounds such as the sound of cutting, filling, and sewing can be heard through the humming which could add onto the eerie mood it creates. Also, only casting light on the main character and their actions limit the audience's view to what is going on which can also contribute to the eerie and sinister mood.

Which Film Company Would Produce My Film? The company that would produce my film would be Blumhouse Productions. Although many well-known thrillers have been produced by Alliance Films and Stage 6 Films, the best option would be Blumhouse Productions. They have produced the Paranormal Series, “Ouija”, “Insidious: Chapter 3”, “Get Out”, as well as many others. Their outstanding repertoire is one of the reasons why they would be the best choice to produce our movie.