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Movie Opener Brainstorming & Research

    Of the nine example videos that we were given to watch, each utilized many different techniques and strategies in order to make their films more appealing that our group will definitely be able to learn from and possibly use ourselves. Here are some of the observations I made while reviewing the examples. Only seven videos are reviewed below since two of them (Link #2, Link #5) were unavailable for public viewing.

Rise

    This opening was extremely fast-paced using lots of quick camera movements, on top of a creative camera positioning and transition used at 0:50 of the video. That positioning involved placing a camera in the front of a rolling soccer ball that had just been kicked, then fading to white. Something else that the team who created the film did very well was the musical score, which they made so that it actually lined up with the various cuts, and even inside the video, the foot movements. This made it seem very synchronized and natural.

    The directors also built apprehension using the volume of the music as the two characters shown in the film got closer and closer to each other, leading up to a silent faceoff towards the very end. While the viewer doesn't know the implications of or the meaning of the faceoff, what's clear is that the two characters' interactions will likely play a large part in the story.

Dear Lover

    This opening tried to set a very sentimental and emotional atmosphere by using low-saturation colors, soft, slow music, and focusing a lot on the expressions on people's faces. This would involve acting skills, which could be tough to emulate but with lots of practice, it could definitely be done.

    The plot of the story is also very easy to follow as it is told through narration, something which isn't commonly used. The opening also shows two characters and a letter which will be very important in the coming film. It was successful

Dare to Thrill

    This opening was very well-designed and it employed two very innovative unique techniques that improved the quality of the video. One of them has to do with the storyline itself, the plot, which involved the end of the opening being something shocking that is unknown to the viewers and clearly drives the story being told. That strategy is something that I'd definitely want our group to try out.

    They also made unique usage of text, not only to introduce the actors but to give exposition as to the plot of the film from the very beginning. The font style used also tells the viewer about the character of the film and the musical score makes a whimsical atmosphere. If we introduce our actors, I think it'd be good to use the text as they are shown to give credit to them.

The suspenseful ending to the opening of the film "Dare to Thrill". You can see the panicked and shocked reactions of the characters here easily.

The Blue Boar

    This film made use of exemplary voice acting and exposition in order to introduce the plot to the viewer. The emotion is made very clear in the voice acting, as well as the musical score. There also is lots of foreshadowing in the film with the characters' interactions as well as the title, which was very creative. The costuming was also very well done in this film.

White Coat

    This film built suspense in an excellent way by using cuts and extremely low lighting. As the man in the lab coat slowly mixes and pours different solutions, this leaves the viewer wondering what he might be trying to accomplish. More exposition is revealed through the sticker label for the patient with his photo on it. The musical score also contributes to the building tension inside the opening to the film.

Stalker

    This film, which had very few special effects, sound effects, and involved very natural lighting, tried to make its storyline very realistic, which it succeeded in doing so. This alternate approach to realism is definitely a consideration that we could take when we make our film intro.

Nostalgia

    This film focused a lot of imagery and less on musical score, sound effects, and special effects in order to drive the plot. This is best exemplified towards the end of the intro, which was a properly utilized match cut straight from the grandma to a young girl. It showed great creativity.

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