Assignment 1

These are the five transitions I have created:

Blink Transition
Unfortunately I was unable to pull this off as effectively as I was hoping.  I think I need more practice trying to synch it up and match the colours etc.  It would also have benefited to have had more background in the shots but the lens that I has was unable to go from extreme close up to include the background.  I think a blinking effect could be quite effective in certain circumstances - such as if a character has memory loss and they blink and are suddenly somewhere different and have no idea how they got there.

Book Swipe with sound bridge
I think this is the best transition I have made, though it could probably do with being a bit longer and the sound bridge suggests more magical things could happen.  I think this would be quite good in fantasy films where the story comes to life.

Zoom Out
This is an interesting technique that can mislead the auidence if there is something quite engaging and dramatic and then suddenly we are pulled back into another environment and atmosphere and we see it playing on the screen. It would probably have been better to have filmed something quite dramatic rather than peaceful that we could pull away from.

Multiframe 1
This sequence was based on the experiences of a woman with a mental illness who lives on our street.  She lives partly in her memories of past love (the eyes), her emotions (conveyed through the distorted arm reaching out), and snippets of her present that are entangled.  The somewhat unpredictable nature of the scenes fall away to reveal the room that she rarely leaves (this is not her actual house).

Multiframe 2
This sequence is supposed to suggest a confusing mixture of emotions, so that we are drawn into the characters different worlds and sides to herself.  It probably would have been better to have this go on for longer with more changes to really convey this.

These are the five transitions I have found that I consider to be effective:

Frida: First 10 Seconds of Clip
The first 10 seconds of this clip are really interesting for how they make a painting come alive.  This technique is used a lot in this film and is a really interesting way of changing scenes.  It also incorporates her art which is very fitting - the art literally tells the story of her life.  This technique is used often as an emotional bridge between scenes - this is particularly evident in a scene where Frida is picturing her husbands fall from American favour and sees him tumble as an ape into her bathwater - her feet begin as a painting but then the painting becomes real and we see her lying there deep in thought.  There aren't many clips from this film online, so I have chosen this example as an illustration of the others that occur in the film.

The Princess and the Warrior: First 10 seconds of clip, and again at 1.37 onwards

I think this transition, of following down the shell, suggests we are entering her world and a mysterious somewhat secret world that only she would normally have access to.  As a viewer it pulls you along for the ride and into the story.

Trainspotting: Relevant clip is at 1.10 to 1.20
I think this transition really conveys the characters escapism through drugs, he seems disconnected with the world and lost in his own.  This transition has interesting symmetry and leaves you feeling a bit tense about what is going to happen to his head.

Being John Malkovich: Relevant clip is at 1.06 to 1.09
This transition is very quick but its disorientating nature fits really well with the themes of the film.  The transition reflects the storyline in that people go into a room that is actually a portal into someones head, so it makes sense that the transitions reflect the portal effect.

The Guardian Three little pigs: Relevant clips is at 0.07 to 0.14
 This subtle transition is hardly noticed the first time you watch it because it really pulls you into the event and you forget how you even got there, it is a variation of the television zoom I attempted but obviously to a much higher standard.  I hope to practice using after effects more so that I can pull these off more convincingly.

These are the two title sequences I have created:

Touched (Midas)
 I made numerous variations of this sequence, many with extremely involved after effects graphics, but they did not look right with the largely realistic style of filming so in the end I chose not to include them.  Also when I overused the graphics it made the sequence look a bit tacky - probably due to the clash of aesthetics.  I learned a lot from this sequence but think I would like to experiment more with eyes and trying to get the colour to match the iris.  It is quite difficult in a video when someones eyes are moving, and I had tried key framing it, though think with a prolonged clip it is noticable that the match isn't perfect.  I had focussed on the graphics and images so much in this sequence that I didn't explore transitions as thoroughly as I had hoped.  I intend to spend a lot more time just experimenting and trying new things in that regard.  Unfortunately the computer I was on crashed a few times, and was functioning very slowly so it was hard to see how the video flowed when I was editing it because it often froze on one image. 

Touched (Vanish)
I experimented with water effects in this transition.  Originally I tried keyframing the eraser feature to make the person slowly disappear, but then I discovered the transition effect of CC glass wipe and found that this created the exact effect I was after.  I would like to learn how to have more control on the movements of the effects and think that with practice I will be able to really push my boundaries with 3D imagery.
Unfortunately I had a bit of a creativity block at the start of this paper and found myself struggling to come up with ideas, and only in the last 4 days did I really come up with the ideas for these transitions so I wish I had had more time to play around with the images.  I had tried experimenting with images from the internet before but without a purpose I found I had a lack of inspiration to experiment and ended up wasting a lot of time achieving very little.  I look forward to free flowing ideas and inspiration from here on out.

Interesting Title Sequences

The first task we were given in this paper was to find opening sequences we think are worthwhile. These are the ones that have resonated with me.

Mad Men Opening Credits:
The silhouette effect is stylish and fits the tone of the show.  The black and white falling through a world of coloured broken images gives a hint to the types of characters we might see - dark, disconnected, out of place.  And the scene hints at the era and the kind of world that the show takes place in.  The falling implies danger and a fall from grace.

Breaking Bad:
Immediately we know that this show has something to do with chemistry.  I think this sequence utilises multiple screens well to convey character.  These scenes are short and busy so nothing is given away too much but we are shown a range of images that are often confusing and conflicting.  There are dramatic shots such  as guns and drugs, but also tender shots of pregnancy and family which play with your expectations as an audience member.  The names appear as part of the table and are so subtle that you barely notice them.  The type of font seems somehow dirty, and gritty, whilst combined with the chemistry symbols which hints at what the show is about.  The music is also dark and somehow dirty, with its drawn out string sounds - this also helps to set the tone of the show.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo:
This sequence is very dark and quite thrilling.  The music is intense, and so are the images - we are thrown into a world of black but are never able to linger very long on the images.  The liquid seems thick, like oil, and moves in a sinister manner.  The images are quite abrupt and violent, and sometimes slow and sexy.  There is a sensuality that pulls you in, like a masochistic indulgence.  Initially it feels like quite an assault on the senses, but one critique I will make is that it does seem to go on for a while so the imagery loses much of its power after a while as you adjust to what you're seeing.

Amelie opening sequence:

I find these shots interesting because they are quirky.  They capture an innocence and matter of fact perspective on the world that resonates with me.  The voice over also reminds me of an old fashioned storyteller with emphasis and french flair.

The colour is unusually strong at points, and the old style film effect and soft piano at the end totally pull me into this world of self indulgence.  I like the unusual lighting and odd angles of the shots, they are a refreshing change from conventional Hollywood techniques.  I like the gentle and simple nature of this starting - it is not trying too hard to impress with graphics, and you don't feel bombarded by too much action.

Goldeneye opening credits:

I am a bit of a fan of the James Bond opening credits in general - they are often like works of art that celebrate the female form in a very tacky retro style.  The music and imagery is always stylish and sexy, but at the same time utterly ridiculous and cheesy.  They are often full of fluid motion - from the women but also the imagery of smoke, fire, oil and water.

The World is Not Enough is another great title sequence.  I like the psychedelic nature of the imagery.