After analysing and examining the style and look that is used when it comes to credits in films we took a selection of different fonts and began to analyse each providing our likes and dislikes and comparing to other horror openings.
We decided that our font should be red for the shots in the first line of action in which the protagonist (Neil) can be seen driving home illuminated by a red light from the car radio, these shots provided a sharp contrast between black and red and so we felt that red text would give a good impact and present the titles clearly.
Not only do the red titles contrast well with the dark background they also contrast with the white text which is shown on titles in the second line of action, this contrast helps separate the two lines of action for the audience.
when selecting a font we decided that it should be in a block format in order for it to be clear and visible to the audience but that it should also be distorted as if it were eroded or splashed.
We didn't want the text to be still either and so in order to grab the audiences attention and perhaps connote a distorted, twisted atmosphere within the opening we have animated the text so that it flickers on the screen at various times during the opening. Examples:
This is the rough cut of our final production piece. This is used to give us an idea of what shots work and which do not, as well as giving us an indication of how long the film will be, which seems to be exactly as we predicted, however, this is only a "rough" indication as we have not cut the shots to music as we plan to for our final cut. Some shots have changed over the course of filming, as well as new shots being put in due to complications with either filming inside a car or manoeuvrability inside the house. Overall, we believe the rough cut was a success for our group and portrays the image we intended
Feedback:
After sharing the rough cut with our classmates, we received this feedback:
People were impressed with the dual lines of action, finding it easy to follow and interesting to watch
The lighting for the shots inside the car were liked as the red connotes a demonic feel to the situation
Others were impressed with the cutting rate and how it was used to build tension in the final moments of the opening sequence
However, there were some qualms regarding the positioning and colouring of text. All the titles remained in the corners of the frame until the last one (intended for the director). This was described as "unnecessary" as the title of the film would appear in the same position several shots later. In regards to colour, text that appeared inside the car was in red to match the lighting, whereas the rest was plain white. Despite criticism, we believe that the colours of the text is not a problem, and that the font is what needs to be changed
We also received comments regarding the face of the victim not being shown enough. Admittedly, we had planned to show more, but failed to shoot the particular shot. However, this can be resolved
Evaluation:
We believe that the feedback we received was positive and the few issues raised can be dealt with easily. Ben BK plans to shoot several more shots showing the face of the victim, and as a group we shall relocate the position of the final piece of text. While these are solutions to the problems raised, we still have to consider cutting to the music we have "Beyond The Sea" by Bobby Darin, as well as fine-tuning the cutting rate and finalising the font to use for production credits
