Moving onto the portfolio stage!!

 

Hey Blog! We are now moving forward from the pre-portfolio stage to transitioning to full work on our portfolios.  I'm really looking forward to what's next, it feels like all year has been building up towards this moment, and there's so many things I've learned in this class that I'm excited to finally put together into the project. I've learned so much new about sound, editing techniques, shot types, mise-en scene elements, and how they all work towards creating a cohesive piece of media, I look forward to finally be moving from these smaller projects that have tackled specific parts of the production process, into a full project where I can express my true vision. 

In class on Tuesday, we analyzed different styles of film openings, to try to find which one would fit our production style best. While I don't completely know yet what my production will fully consist of yet, a few types caught my attention.

Background

   The background opening style, has become popularized in dystopia, and other types of stories where shocking situations and events are central to the production. For instance, in Children of Men, one of the film openings we analyzed in class, a dystopian story where children are for some reason no longer being born. I found it super interesting how they displayed this with, garbage in the shots and police being seen everywhere, and suddenly a shocking explosion. Through just the mise-en scene and events in these first two minutes, so many elements were revealed into what the piece would be. 

  

Children of Men (2006)

Conflict

   Stories that draw me, are stories that imagine the world in a new way. In a similar way to background, conflict allows one to explore an innovative story. By immediately setting the conflict front and center, these types of openings establish what the idea that the piece will revolve around. This is shown in a move such as Jaws (1975), another excerpt we viewed in class, where from the first 2 minutes, after a character dies to the shark, we are exposed to the idea that the film will be based on character vs environment,  highlighting the relationship between the characters and the shark. 

 

 Jaws (1975) 

 

        After I finish planning what my production will be I'll re-examine and see if one of these opening styles are one of the ones that will best fit what I'll be going for with my project. For now, these will give me a good idea of what it could look like, and I'll keep them in mind when considering what my project will evolve into!