James Bond Opening Intros

Conventions of a Bond Intro: 

Ever since the first James Bond movie in 1962, Dr. No, there has been a pre-title sequence teaser, within this teaser there will be two conventions they are: Bond will be either featured with an attractive female or he will be on a mission that is to the story of the movie, although it might not be directly connect with the plot of the movie. The second convention is that Bond will either have spectacular car chase or make a daring escape from impeccable danger.

 After the pre-title sequence finishes it is followed by a very particularly designed title sequence that fits with the theme of the movie. This will feature a original track written for the movie performed by a popular artist at the time of its release for example the new Bond movie, Skyfall feature a track performed by Adele. During the title sequence an array of silhouetted women dancing and performing stunts while explosions and gunshots go off, the intensity of the visuals increases as the song continues.
 These conventions have stayed throughout all the Bond movies as it is something the audience have become familiar with and expect from a Bond movie now.
The difference in the modern Bond intros are that since film makers now have access to modern technology the intros have become more modern and now they can combine live action with animation. Below are two different Bond titl sequences from a past movie and a much more modern, the first is "From Russia With Love" contrasted to the intro from "Casino Royale".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y952TRNBvDw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eje28TK4D00

Casino Royale OTS Analysis

Casino Royale:

Plot:

James Bond (Daniel Craig) is promoted to double "O" status and is sent on a mission to infiltrate a casino poker game and must defeat the ruthless Le Chiffre and force his his spymasters to "retire" him. But Bond's attraction to a beautiful female agent leads him to danger at every possible corner.

Opening Title Sequence:

In the opening shot a car pulls up to a multiplex building, in the next shot an official looking man takes the elevator to his office there Bond is waiting for him, during a series of shot reverse shots the two have a conversation about betrayal, in a separate jump cut Bond is seen fighting with another man in a restroom, as the shots cut between the conversation and the fight Bond shoots the double agent as he reveals he has been promoted to double O status upon getting his first two kills, the narrative shows the two kills. The intro is filmed in black and white this is done to show a past event but it fits with the main conventions of a typical film noir, as does the use of smoke to create an atmosphere of mystery. Another aspect that fits a film noir is that at the beginning the cast is all male as in a typical film noir the anti-hero is present with other male characters and does not meet the girl next door or femme fatale until later on in the film. Bond and the double agent are both wearing long trench coats which is reminiscent of the fashion of the older film noirs even though trilbies are not worn. Another convention used is the use of a broken narrative as film jumps between two stories at the same time and not shown in chronological order. As with the regular Bond intros is showns the main stream company, director and main stream studio that produced and shot the film this is done as it complies with the industry.

To Watch The Intro Click The Link Below (Must Have Youtube Access) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ecuov3oB9A

Mulholland Drive OTS Analysis

Mulholland Drive:

Plot:

A beautiful woman riding in a limousine along Los Angeles' Mulholland Drive is targeted by a would-be shooter, but before he can pull the trigger, she is injured when her limo is hit by another car. The woman stumbles from the wreck with a head wound, and in time makes her way into an apartment with no idea of where or who she is. As it turns out, the apartment is home to an elderly woman who is out of town, and is allowing her niece Betty to stay there; Betty is a small-town girl from Canada who wants to be an actress, and her aunt was able to arrange an audition with a film director for her. Betty befriends the injured woman, who begins calling herself "Rita" after seeing a poster of Rita Hayworth. While Betty's audition impresses a casting agent, and she catches the eye of hotshot director Adam Kesher , Kesher's producers and money men insist with no small vehemence that he instead cast a woman named Camilla Rhodes. As Rita attempts to put the pieces of her life back together, she pulls the name Diane Selwyn from her memory; Rita thinks it could be her real name, but when she and Betty find a listing for Diane Selwyn and visit her apartment, they discover the latest victim of a mysterious killer who is eluding police detective Harry McKnight. Rita's emotional identity soon takes a left turn, and it turns out that neither woman is quite who she once appeared to be. 
 http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mulholland_dr/

Opening Title Sequence :

In the opening shot there is a group of men and women dressed in 50's clothing dancing, then we see a woman crowned the winner of a competition, in the next shot it is filmed in a first person POV shot as all we can hear is heavy breathing and see the character grab hold of a pillow, in the next shot the viewer is looking in the perspective asthough though they are in a car, the credits roll past like signposts, it then fades to a female character sitting in limo next to two heavy built men, she is escorted out of the car where guns are drawn on her, in a wide shot a car being driven recklessly by teenagers crashes into the limo.  The lightening used is very dark which is very common in a film noir as it makes the audience think of mystery and even crime. The femme fatale is present during the opening the viewer can identify her with her bright red lipstick, it is a very deep red as this represents danger to whoever crosses paths with her. The types of cars used is also common in film noir's as they show that the person is sophisicated and doesnt require an expensive vechile. Another aspect that is seen is the heavy use of smoke and fire, this can represent uncertainty of a situation as the whole screen is in one part completely covered and leaves the audience wondering if anyone had survived. One thing that is not common in a film noir (like Red Riding 1974, see below) is that is is filmed in colour. 

To Watch The OTS Click Here (Must Have Youtbe Access):
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cb5XpIBqQA

The Red Riding Trilogy OTS Analysis

The Red Riding Trilogy:

Plot:

The trilogy chronicles a backdrop of several serial murders although most are fiction, the second revolves around the "Yorkshire Ripper" murders. In the first of the trilogy 1974 Eddie Dunford (Andrew Garfield) is an aspiring young journalist he moved to London but not all went well and has moved back to his home town of Yorkshire. There he learns of a new case, the disappearance of a young girl, as her body is recovered he becomes slowly obsessed with the case and one of the victim's mothers.

Opening Title Sequence Analysis:  

In the opening shot we see the camera pan down to the body of a little girl with wings, then the screen fades open to the anti-hero staring into the distance covered in dirt and blood, he then drops a gun onto the ground. In the next shot the anti-hero is seen driving into Yorkshire while a voice over which tells the audience about a little girl who goes missing, the voice over is confirmed to be the anti-hero as he is a journalist who has messed things up in London and returns home for his father's funeral. The character of the Eddie fits with the typical anti-hero in film noir's as he is flawed, he messed up in London and wants to makes a name for himself, he is also flawed as his father was also a journalist and he is constantly being compared to him as if he could never be as good as his father was. Another thing that is very common in film noirs is that the narrative is broken as in the first shot, it starts with the end this is called reverse chronology also the voiceover is very common as it gives a direct link to what the character is experiencing or feeling, this creates a hook/enigma for the viewer as they want to find out more. The colours are bland mostly dark yellows and grey this makes it feel dystopian which creates the effect of the community being undesirable or frightening , there is also a heavy atmosphere of smoke present this is very common in a film noir, the effect used on the lighting a dark sepia tone, this effect is used to resemble the effect of aging asthough the viewer is looking into the past. The camera shots used are mostly over the shoulder shots which shows the viewer the surroundings, close-ups to show emotions and framing as this allows the film maker to construct a shot that continues the narrative. There are also three factors that are present that are not common in a film noir, instead of being based in an urban setting the narrative takes place in the country side. Instead of using dramatic music there is a score from a guitar and finally film noir's are usually shot in black and white.

Watch The Trailer Here: (Must Have Youtube Access)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsshRsvMGCs

Evidence Of 180 Degree Rule & Shot Reverse Shot

Here is an example of a shot reverse shot, we see the mental patient looking down, there we can see the other on screen character the doctor.

Here we can see the reverse of the shot, we have obeyed the rule as we have created the illusion that the characters are looking at each other.

Here we filmed a match on action as the character calls for the lift we see the doors open and he walks in, this shows the audience it is moving on with the narrative and showing the characters' actions.

Here we filmed the rule of 180 as the characters turn from their original position the camera follows them that way it does not cause any confusion or disorientation for the audience.

180 Degree Rule & Shot Reverse Shot

180 Degree Rule

The 180 degree rule is a basic guideline referring to the onscreen spatial relationship involving two characters or a character and an object within a scene. Filmmakers use an imaginary line called the "Axis" to connect the two characters, this can be done by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene, the first character will always be on the right frame of the second character, who is then always on left frame of the first. If the camera passes over the axis, it is called jumping the line or crossing the line.

In professional productions, the applied 180-degree rule is an essential element for a style of film editing called Continuity Editing. Although it is a very important rule some filmmakers will break it and cross the axis to cause a disorientation. Stanley Kubrick was known to do this for example in The Shining he broke the line of action in the bathroom scene.

Shot Reverse Shot

This shot can also be called the shot/counter shot, is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

My Favourite TV Dramas

 CSI


One of my favourite TV dramas is CSI: Crime Scene Investigation which started in 2000, it is based around the lives of forensic scientists who solve criminal cases that are tagged unsolvable. It mixes drama with it's characters with the mystery of the cases as they unravel the truth. Rather than using the "whodunit" formula they explore how the crimes were committed using cutting edge new technology. It has been the number one scripted series in the Nielsen ratings (the audience measuring system used in the United States) it has also been the world's most watched show since 2007. The show has also been so successful it has spawned two spinoff shows: CSI: Miami which started in 2002 and CSI: New York which started in 2004.
    
 The characters are the audiences way of viewing the solving of the cases the characters are:

• Grissom- the head of the crime lab, to many of the characters he is seen as a mentor rather than a boss, he teaches them techniques they can use in their investigations, he is romantically involved with Sara but it is not revealed until the season 7 finale. The character of Grissom is often compared to Sherlock Holmes as he is more concerned with the matter of logic rather than action and he also has a "Moriarty" type of nemisis.

•  Catherine Willows- the supervisor to Grissom, she is portrayed as a strong independent woman as she is recently divorced and loves her career and wants to make a name for herself. The character actually breaks many conventions which is true of all the characters in CSI, as she is not helpless, she is very intellegent also.

• Warrick Brown- an audio/video analyst, warrick is seen as Grissom's favourite as he is always looking out for him and teaching him many life lessons as he has a past as a gambler.

• Nick Stokes- level 3 CSI, nick is also looked after by Grissom, in season 5 he is taken hostage and buried alive, he is a intellegent ladies man, he is often known for his many relationships but his loyalty lies with the team. Nick fits the sterotype of the tough guy who is also first into dangerous situations.

• Sara Sidle- a material and element analyst, Sara was transfered over to the team in the second episode of the first season when a fellow CSI was killed while working, Sara became a perminent member since. Sara fits into the sterotype of the romantic interest as she is portrayed as quite flirtatious but caring

• Captain Jim Brass- a police officer who assists by gaining warrants, he was once in charge of the CSI unit but lost the job and it went to Grissom. The character is portrayed as being stern, serious and ambitious to catch the criminals, he fits the conventions of the boss figure as he commands the team and helps them with the invesigations.

I like this show as i like the element of mystery as the case is solved and you are able to keep guessing who the culprit is i also like how the show deals with personal issues with the characters.



 The Walking Dead

 The walking dead is an American drama TV series based on the comic book series of the same name. It tells the story of a group of survivors of a zombie apocalypse. It shows the post - apocalyptic world as the survivors try to find shelter and cure the population. The show stars Andrew Lincoln as the show's main character sheriff Rick Grimes who awakens from a coma into the zombie ridden world. He returns to his family and swears to keep them and a band of survivors safe as he is elected leader of the pact. The show has been well received by critics and audiences. It is filmed in the style of a horror and adds drama and suspence aswell as action.
I like this show as it creates an apocalyptic world and deals with a topic that is very overused but actually makes it feel fresh.
                                            Characters and representations:

Rick Grimes- he is the leader of the group, he is sterotypically a tough guy who can lead the survivours out of any situation with ease and confidence. He meets the main conventions of the hero/survivor in the horror genre as he is the only one willing to lead everyone and has experience with action/conflict.






 T-Dog- he is one of the survivors in the group led by Rick, the character fits many sterotypes and conventions but later contrasts many of them. He is sterotype as enjoying rap and dressing as a "gangster", his dialogue is also sterotyped as he speaks using slang. In the first season he is represented as not being very heroic but more of a coward and seen as a coward. But during season 2&3 he breaks the conventions as he becomes a major character and seen as a leader figure even questioning Rick's abilities one major convention he had broken in the horror genre was that he survived longer than most characters who are white, as in the horror genre the black character usually dies very early on.

 This Is England 86/88

This is Englad tv series is a spin off from the original TIE movie, it is set three years after the movie and the story is takes place during the 1986 fifa world cup. The show revolves around a group of teenagers and shows their lives as they are grwoing up and their relationships. The
shows main character is : 

• Shaun- he is completing his last exam of his time in high school and his friends who are around 3 years older than him are Woody, Lol, Smell, Gadget and Meggy. All these characters feature in the movie which revolves around the skinhead culture and deals with topics such as racism. 

The show had caused some controversy as it showed one of the shows characters being raped it provoked stron reactions from audiences who found the scene hard to watch.
I like this show as it blends drama (sometimes in extreme cases) with the political and real issues. I also like it because i like the characters as they seem like a normal group of friends but with issues.