I will want to include the name of the producer and director at some point
I will also include the names of some of the people in the film. Because this is only the opening sequence I will have to make up some names.
When watching the opening to Saturday Night Fever again firstly we see John Travolta's name then the title of the film, then there is an assortment of names of people that are starring in the film.
I will also include original screenplay by.... and music by.....
The production company name will be in the bottom right hand corner
Siri's name and Lex's name will both be at the bottom of the frame, one in each corner and one after another
Nan's name will be on the brown wall in the top left hand corner
"Produced and Directed by...." in bottom right hand corner
"Original screenplay by...." in bottom right hand corner
"Music By...." in bottom left hand corner once camera is stationary
When adding the titles to my opening sequence I wanted them all to use a simple font, so the audience focuses on the emotions that the main character is feeling and can listen to the lyrics of the non diagetic music
When I first filmed the scenes I originally had Siri walking past a stationary camera and then the camera would pan upwards to the sky, then the title of the film would be edited into the sky. But when I put everything together I realised I didn't really like the idea after all so I cut out the clip of the camera panning upwards.
After I had cut out the clip of the sky I realised I didn't actually then know where I wanted the title of the film to now be on my opening sequence. I then decided that it should be towards the end of my opening sequence. And I chose the scene where Lex takes Siri's hand and helps her up.
Firstly, I chose to have the words Rude Awakenings in the same style as above but in the very centre of the frame
I didn't like this because you then could not see the characters
So I moved the text to the bottom of the frame
But I still did not like this, because even though the rest of the titles are blank, this title needs to have some form of interest towards the audience.
So I changed the name of the film to Awakenings and moved the title to the bottom corner of the frame, because now it fits with all the rest of the titles in the film because they are all placed in different corners of the frames.
The titles appears blurred but then it focuses, before blurring again and disappearing.
When I first put the new title on to the opening sequence, I thought that it was too short. It would appear for less than 3 seconds before disappearing again, some of my audience may not have been able to read the title because it was there and gone too fast. So I changed the length of the titles, so now the audience will fond it easier to read the title of the film.
Over the past few lessons I have been watching my opening sequence over and over making notes on things that need to be changed. Every time I have made a few little changes or one big change to my opening sequence, I uploaded it to YouTube. So I could watch it again when I got home.
I have thought I have completed my opening sequence many times but then I would find something that I didn't like and then go back to Final Cut Pro and change it.
Just as Siri is wiping her eyes and Lex jumps down the steps at 1:06, the music ends too sharpy and suddenly. This can be easily fixed on Final Cut Pro by blending out the music slightly. I am also yet to add in the titles
I have added the titles and I am very happy with them! I thought this was the final attempt and that I had finished, but then I realised I hadn't even put in the name of the film so I quickly added it in
I knew that I wanted to use a simple title for when the name of the film would come up, but I wasn't really sure what to do. So I quickly added "Rude Awakenings" smack bang in the middle of the frame in a really large font, then showed my teacher what she thought of it. She thought it didn't look right, which I agreed with, and she suggested that the title should be in one of the corners because all the rest of the titles throughout the opening sequence are in the corners of the frames. But I decided to have the title along the bottom of the frame.
I changed "A Pretoria Production Film" to just a "A Pretoria Production"
I faded out the music when Siri first sits on the steps of the memorial
I then decided that in fact the name of the film should be in the corner of the frame, and that it should have some form of transition into the opening sequence, because it is not just like all the other titles in the opening sequence, it should stand out because it tells the audience what the name of the film is.
I thought this was the very final video, but then when I watched it again later on I realised the word "awakenings" is not on the screen long enough, it seems its gone before it has even got there, which I don't think my audience will like, so I made "awakenings" stay on the screen for a few seconds longer, then I had finished.
I have analysed London to Brighton and I had tried to base my opening sequence slightly on the opening of that, because in that opening the audience is put straight into the action and dialogue. So thats why I wanted to include the dialogue between my Nan & Siri.
Miss thought I had included too much walking, but I should like to stick with my Saturday Night Fever follow-on theme.
Miss wants me to include more dialogue between Siri and my Nan. She wants maybe Siri and my nan arguing and Siri trying to push past to run out of the door. I feel that the meeting of Lex and Siri will the more important dialogue, because these are to be the main characters, so I would prefer to focus more on that.
Also, I wanted to show the audience that Siri was sneaking out of the house and her mother didn't even notice because she was too busy worrying about where her dinner was. She could get away without her mother knowing and no-one would come after her straight away.
I believe a synopsis should not tell the whole story, and because I had written "abusive mother" my teacher believes that I should show this in some way, but I think that could be something that has happened earlier and now this is the point where she decides to leave. The film could have flashbacks to previous incidents and arguments at a later stage.
It took me aaaaages to find out how to cut the clip of Siri walking down the staires so I could insert the clip of my nan shouting "Taylor, wheres my dinner?" I ended up having to look it up on YouTube to find out how to do it
I inserted the clip when Siri was halfway down the staires. But I still don't think that looks quite right so I think I will cut the staires clip again so when Siri is about 3/4 down the staires I shall insert the clip of my nan shouting
I just think the audience would not want to see another long clip of Siri walking down the staires after they see my nan shout at her.
I didn't get very long to work on my editing because the lesson was only half an hour long
I put together all of my clips to make the first 30 seconds of my opening sequence
As you can see it is very rough. I need to shorten the clips even more especially when Siri walks to the bottom of the staires because you can hear me talk to her. I am a little worried that the clips don't really fit together like I thought they would so when I imagined my opening sequence, and I don't think it really all flows.
I have decided I will try adding titles over the top of some of the clips. For example during the first clip while Siri is stuffing the clothes into the bag I will have the Production Company/Distributors name over this, because some audience members may not want to only see a clip of Siri packing a bag, the logo will could add some interest.
It has been really annoying me how you will see Siri walk down the staires, then my nan will shout at her, then she will be walking out of the house. I think if I keep it like this the audience will agree with me that it does not work. So I came up with the idea that halfway through the clip of Siri walking down the staires, I could cut to my nan shouting, and then it would cut back to Siri walking the rest of the way down the staires. However, it would then cut to Siri walking out of the house, would this work? I will have to edit the video further in my lesson on thursday to see if my idea will work.
I could have the first half of Siri walking down the staires, then my nan shouting at her - but only the first bit where she is shouting "Taylor", then it would go back to Siri walking down the staires, then my nan shouting "wheres my dinner?", then the clip of Siri walking out of the door. This could work because everything should all flow together. But it also has the risk of everything looking too thrown together and the audience may find it hard to follow the story. I shall try this idea on thursday.
