Editing 18/03/13

Since we have been using the new editing programme, Adobe Premiere, we have made consistent progress on our opening sequence. 
On Thursday we managed to finish the main bulk of editing, and downloaded a template which would help us construct our title sequence which we have finished. We experienced some difficulty when trying to export our titles, because the colour was not correct. However, we managed to fix this issue and luckily have managed to import it onto Adobe Premiere with the opening sequence. We now need to finish our sound sequence.

Sound: Speed

The sound from Speed, another thriller is to set a certain atmosphere and mood. The beginning starts with 20th Century Fox sequence, showcasing the institution behind the film. 
The start of the opening begins with the sound of a lift, which could be diegetic. The eery orchestral music featured us non-diegetic to create a tense atmosphere amongst the audience. This sound is parallel to the visual shown. The "Speed" title, as it quickly exits the screen, and with it is matching sound. The pace of the music gets quicker, and builds tension for the audience however as it slows down the mood becomes suspicious. There is no speech throughout the opening, with the only character to appear opening a door, with the sound being diegetic. 

Sound: A Mother's Son

I have analysed sound from the television programme opening of AMother's Son. This thriller programme aims through the sound is to set the mood and scene of what the programme is going to be like.
The sound of nature features heavily in this opening sequence, indicating that nature may have some significance to the plot. The first sound heard is the crashing of violent waves against the shore, and the sound of the grass rattling. This builds tension and suspicion among st the audience, as to why these sound are so powerful. Whilst the sound of the sea may be diegetic, the sound of the grass is most probably non-diegetic. Another non-diegetic sound in the opening sequence is the orchestral soundtrack, which heavily features violins. Such music is often used when mourning someones death, however this music is leading to the build up to this, so the pace of the music is faster, and more frantic. The only speech, which is diegetic, is the female saying "I'm sorry," however you can often hear her heavy breathing which adds to the tense mood of the opening sequence.

Coming from a thriller opening this has made me understand the importance of the soundtrack to build up tension and suspense when creating an opening sequence, as the sound is a vital part of creating a tense atmosphere.

Group Discussions: 04/02/13

In the lesson today, Kiah, Laura and myself made progress in our behind the scenes footage, and applied a soundtrack to it. We decided to use something upbeat and vibrant, and after much searching decided to use Azealia Banks - 212. In our next lesson we will hopefully 
begin to work on our soundtrack for our actual opening sequence. 

Max Payne Sound Analysis

SHOT NUMBER	SOUND DESCRIPTION	EFFECT
1	20th century Fox theme tune	The 20th century fox theme tune is well know and the audience will be able to recognise this.
2	The sound of someone talking. There is nothing visual at this moment, only a black screen so we are unable to see who is talking.	This can be used to create suspicion. By only having dialogue and no picture this can make the audience feel dark and nervy as the opening picture and introduction to the film only contains suspicious talking.
3	The next sound that is heard is of who we suppose is the protagonist burst out of the water. We can hear his gasps for breath and almost desperation. The sound of the man gasping for air is diegetic however could have been enhanced to add more effect.	The effect of bursting out of the water is to primarily shock the audience. This is the opening scene and this would cause the audience to feel uncertainty due to the fleeting nature of the shot.
4	The sound heard when the character goes back underwater is non-diegetic in order to create a dark and eerie atmosphere.	The male is stirring: this could have possibly been used to make the audience feel a sense of desperation for him as he struggles. This is also used to cause frustration.
5	The sound of the splashes has been used again to demonstrate the character’s frustration as he struggles. The sound of splashing is on screen diegetic.	The effect created by the sound of splashing is racy and this has been used in order to create frustration and almost agitation amongst the audience as to why he is in this situation. The nervy atmosphere is created through the male’s gasps and continuous splashes.
6	The sound we hear is almost like sonar to show possibly how far underwater they are, especially as the shot is taken almost at an angle where the camera is pointing upwards suggesting how far underwater they are. This sound is non-diegetic as it was most probably not part of the film world.	The use of the sonar effect under the water has been used and creates an eerie and fleeting effect which leaves the audience in suspicious.
7	The noise we can hear is the sonar effect again, which is parallel to the visuals. We can also hear the character speaking slowly.	The effect of the pensive sound is to create a dark and mysterious atmosphere.
8	There is the small sound of the sonar again, as well as a baby crying, this sound would be non-diegetic sound.	The sound of baby crying is eerie, makes the atmosphere suspicious. The sound of crying sounds innocent, which could leave the audience questioning why this man is involved with the child.
9	There is a sound bridge as the sound of the baby crying is carried through from the previous shot.	The repetition is often used for emphasis and that something bad may happen.
10	The narration is non-diegetic however is parallel with what is being shown. The music in the background is also non-diegetic.	The music is used to create curiosity and is pensive so therefore makes the audience apprehensive.
11	The creaking door is non-diegetic and is parallel to the visual shown. The creaking door is used to add a scary effect.	The effect that is intended is suspicion as creaking doors often are connected to horror films. There is a dark atmosphere created.
12	The chimes in the background are non-diegetic and creates a dark atmosphere. The sound is slightly contrapuntal due to the fact that chimes are usually associated with relaxation and the visual shows a woman who may/may not be dead.	The sound of the chimes used are made to create an eerie and mysterious effect due to the fact there is a woman who could have died.
13	The sound of the clock ticking and the chimes are a sound bridge from the previous scene and are non diegetic.	The chimes and clock are repetitive and loud for an ominous effect.
14	The chimes are once again sound bridged and there is a sound of almost lightening. Both of these sounds are non diegetic.	To make the audience feel intimidated? It is to create a dark effect and to feel ominous.
15	The sound of sonar is repeated and so is the clock ticking.	Clock is insistent, and could symbolise running out of time to the audience.
16	The sound of the police aerial is repetitive and diegetic however could be enhanced for more effect.	This is used to make the audience feel slightly confused as there is an abrupt cut to the next scene and could create curiosity as to why the next scene is at a police station.

Harry Potter Opening Evaluation

Harry Potter Evaluation

What style or feel of music did you use for the credit sequence and why?

I felt that the most appropriate music to use for the credit sequence was to be one that set the mood and tone for the rest of the film. The opening gives the audience the overall impression of what the film will be like. Laura and I wanted to use eerie music at the beginning, to set the dark atmosphere, which would be parallel to the visuals, of the dark grey and gloomy clouds. The music was at a slow pace as it travelled through the credit sequence and into the sky. We altered the pitch of the music as the sun’s light shone brighter, at which point the music became louder.  

Rating: 8

What style or feel or music did you use for the playground sequence and why?

For the playground scene we wanted to use music to create a very “every day” and neutral mood to the scene. We used the same sort of music in the opening sequence, the chimes creating a mysterious and ominous effect. The music used was repetitive, which matched the repetition of the roundabout which carried on going round. However, as the group of boys head over towards Harry, the music changes, almost like the echoes of someone’s screams, this music hints to the audience there may be a confrontation as the music has caused the atmosphere to change: from neutral and sombre to dark and anxious. This also reminds the audience of the music from the opening credits, and the adventure and mystery theme of the overall film.

Rating: 7

What style or feel of music did you use for the sequence when the Dementors appeared and why? How do you feel the music changed? To what extent did you manage to convey the mood?

As the Dementors appeared the music changed drastically: we used a hard, crashing sound as the sky changed to a dark and gloomy grey. As we can see the wind blowing rubbish surrounding Harry and Dudley, the music changes and becomes piercing, and sounds like someone screaming. We wanted to create the effect that something bad was about to happen, and to create a frantic feeling amongst the audience. As the boys run away, the music changes and the pace becomes a lot faster, which is parallel to the visual as the boys are running hysterically. Once in the tunnel, the music changes back to the scream again, and the pitch much higher. This is to create the effect that they are surrounded by danger and enclosed in the tunnel. There is also a repetitive thud, which sounds almost like a footstep coming closer. This creates a dark and nervy feeling amongst the audience, and builds the suspense.

Rating: 7

How pleased are you with the final sequence overall?

Overall I am pleased with the final sequence overall as I believe the music captures the mood of the opening sequence. The different sounds at different times I believe created the appropriate feel and effect of each scene. The sound and music used was parallel to the visuals in order to create the sombre and mysterious atmosphere of used in Harry Potter films.

Rating: 8

Harry Potter Sound Extract

 October 2012

Harry Potter sound extract