Editing process

As the groups editor, I have started to put together the title sequence with all the footage we have filmed so far. Since we wished for a slow, sophisticated theme to run under the whole title sequence, some clips have been slowed down to show her steady pace and that she is rather elegant. 

As I am new to using Final Cut Pro, I am learning as I go along and it is a rather easy program to use. Many scenes still need to be filmed and many things will slot in-inbetween the footage I have already placed, but it has all been colour corrected and slowed if necessary. The colour corrections are necessary in order to bring out the contrast of the white on our character.

 

Production log

Where: Art department
Who: Niamh, Kelly, Maddie B, Maddie H
Equipment: DSLR, light boxes, lightscreen, props
Purpose: Testing footage, creating props

For this, we were creating some of the props we were possibly going to use and some test footage that we were may or may not going to use in the actual title sequence. We set this up in the art department, with a white screen, white table and light box to really illuminate the scene. The purpose of the footage was filming a lipstick being melted as if it were 'blood' and signifying a character's death. This was in reference to an early scene in the title sequence of American Psycho, where raspberry liquor referenced blood also.

The filming, framing and cinematography of this scene went well. However, the whole scene as something to film was something that was a health risk. As we were burning a lipstick, we were at risk of many things. Burning plastic is toxic and could have harmed our health, and also I risked burning myself with the lighter.

Blood test

At the beginning of our filming journey, we tested with lipsticks, in turn creating props that we will use in the final sequence. We tested our lighting, and whilst a white screen wasn't available, we improvised and messed around with whitespace in other ways. Since our killer is a girl, we wished to represent death in a feminine way, which created the idea of red lipstick becoming blood.

Now with us having burnt lipsticks as shown below, we now have props for the final sequence available to us.

Testing shots, text and lighting tests

With a test run of shots, we managed to play around with lighting and shoot a possible sequence that we will use within the final film.

We decided that a white screen and white paper would produce the best results for our film. Also, as later in the sequence we are writing an actor/producer's name on a mirror, we tested the style of handwriting that would best suit the theme of our title sequence. We settled on No.2, written by Kelly.

Storyboard

This is the storyboard that was used in the animatic, displaying our general idea of our title sequence. We didn't jot down any idea of how things would transition and how long things would be seen on screen as we didn't have any idea at this point. With my drawing skills, we were able to portray what we needed to clearly and effectively. 

Production Call

Our production call details all of our roles, what we are likely to need for props and equipment and any risks we needed to take. With all our roles clear on paper, it made it easy to know what we had to stick to within our group. The props and kits list were pretty true to what we needed, with only perhaps small things needing to be added. Also, very little had to be bought since we knew what we needed. A risk assessment was needed just in case an accident did happen, we would know what to do.

Anamatic

Our animatic shows the general idea of our title sequence, which didn't take long to do. We didn't include any explicit animation of our title sequence as we still wasn't completely sure of how everything would move, but we expect to only really use simple cuts. Also, music was undecided at this point, so it wasn't included. This again allowed me to use Final Cut Pro again, learning the ropes of the program further.

Saul Bass and Kyle Cooper presentations

Kyle Cooper presentation

By Kelly and Madison

He holds an MFA in graphic design from the Yale School of Art, where he studied under graphic designer Paul Rand, as well as a BFA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In 1996, he co-founded and named creative agency Imaginary Forces. He has directed and produced more than 150 film title and VFX sequences, including Se7en, Spider-Man, and The Mummy. In 2001, he directed a feature film, New Port South.

He moved on to found Prologue Films in 2003, with which he has created title sequences for The Incredible Hulk, Final Destination 5, and The Walking Dead. In 2008, he was a finalist in the National Design Awards. He has earned five Emmy Award nominations and one win for his work on the 81st Annual Academy Awards. He also holds the title of Honorary Royal Designer for Industry from the Royal Society of Arts in London.

Above (In order): Se7en, American Horror Story, The Incredible Hulk, Dawn of the Dead, The Avengers, Godzilla.

The handwritten typography and title is conventional in Cooper’s style because Cooper tends to put an emphasis on the fonts, when creating a title sequence, to create an atmosphere and to intrigue the audience. In an interview, Cooper stated that ‘The idea that that it is a handwritten font in Se7en, is because the guy is a serial killer and is keeping those journals.’ 

Cooper is also interested in anatomical images and videos as well as micro features of the body such as body cells, teeth, and etc. Cooper mainly uses close ups and extreme close ups with his work and this creates narrative enigma and makes the audience question because the close ups are limiting the audience to how much they actually see. His cuts are typically rapid and flashy because the sudden change of pace of editing adds to the uncomfortable  atmosphere and helps build suspense easily. The images do not stay on the screen for longer than five seconds either and the grainy effect disorientates the environment more. 

The soundtrack for the title sequence is a song by the Nine Inch Nails, called Closer and the title sequence only plays one part of the song, by the end, which says ‘You bring me closer to God’. This links in with what the film is based on, that is the seven deadly sins. 

For the title sequence for ‘Dawn of the Dead’ Cooper yet again puts an emphasis on the typography, for this sequence the font is red and is animated; as it moves across the screen like veins. 

The soundtrack at the beginning is of a heart beat and a heart monitor gone dead, this creates narrative enigma as the monitor can not be dead if there’s a heart beat. The soundtrack fades into the background as the dialogue becomes more prominent, asking questions such as “Are these people alive or dead?’ which gives the audience a better idea of the narrative.

The sequence continues in to a montage of achieve/found footage of the outbreak and news reports with anatomical images of cells, which is typical of Cooper as he is interested in anatomical images and uses montages to create an atmosphere and establish the genre. Although it establishes the genre the audience does not meet the protagonist, which is conventional for Cooper as he involves the audience in the world before meeting the main cast. 

Ultimately, Cooper’s work is strongly, but creatively, based on his interests. Despite this, Cooper has been able to make it work for all of the films he has been involved in so far. 

Most of his work has a scientific yet eerie element to it which he is well known for and Cooper is also popular for his thoughtful detail in his work. For example, in Dawn of the Dead’s title sequence Cooper even went to the extent of using real human blood, which makes the film feel more real.

Saul Bass presentation

By Maddison and Niamh

Saul bass from maddie h

We also did a questionnaire about Saul Bass, with results down below: