Storyboard

As a group, we discussed how we would incorporate both action and mystery into our film opening, which we decided to do by having characteristics of both. At first, our group was discussing various action techniques that we had seen in real movies and in the example, but we then decided to use our own unique twist on the genre and add aspects of a mystery film to the film opening. We then began to expand upon our original ideas and brainstorming to come up with a plot similar to that of the movie, "Until Dawn". Our film is going to be centered around the mystery of who set the ceiling trap that killed one of the friends in the friend group. The group of friends have many suspenseful moments, which is a characteristic to both the action and mystery genre, for example, when they are running around the school in fear for their lives, that is an action packed scene based around a mystery. By having both action and mystery in our film, we hope to maximize the overall strength of our film tohave it be extremely engaging to the audience, and a film opening that could later be developed into an entire movie.

Film Opening Notes

- Name of production and main characters is shown in the film opening.
- Music helps set the tone of the film.
- A variety of camera angle shots helps establish different characters.
- Genre of movie is shown through early shots.
- Setting of film is shown through surrounding environment and the people in the area.
- Tempo of film is set through movement of characters and music.
- Can start in current time and then relay into the past and something that had happened before, or the other way around.
- Close up camera shots can often establish one's character and the role that they will play in the film.
- Main character can often be shown in a situation where they have an inkling that something isn't completely normal.
- Possessions of a character can be shown in order to create a better understanding of who they are and how that characteristic may later affect the film.
- A filter or the natural lighting of the area can help establish an overall mood of the film.
- An environment that is generally said to be unsafe can build suspicion among viewers and characters.
- Body language of characters can often foreshadow what may occur in the future.
- Animations that are made through the computer can add certain effects to the mood of the film.
- A narration by a main character signifies that they are of great importance to the film and that the film will likely be through their perspective and point of view.
- A random encounter with a new character can imply that they will play a big role in the future of the film.

Film Opening - What Inspired Me

For the second semester film opening project, my group and I chose to work with the mystery genre which is in all of our best interest. The mystery genre has always struck my interest because it is able to capture my attention so effectively due to the many great factors that are often displayed within movies with a central genre of mystery. Mystery movies are able to convey not only a mystery, but they can also mix in other genres such as comedy and action along the plot of the movie. The Scooby Doo series is a perfect example of a mystery genre where comedy also contributes so heavily to the audience's perception of the filming. The Scooby Doo movies are centralized as animated mystery movies in which the team is working to solve a crime or mystery, but within the movie there are many aspects of comedy from the team that highlights the movie as a whole and adds a special feature to the movie. Films such as the Batman movie series are another example of a multi genre film. The Batman movies, based around the superhero Batman, are built around a major mystery that Batman is involved in and often is responsible for in the prevention of an enemy. In these movies, the action genre is also very prominent due to the many battle scenes that play a major role in showing Batman fighting against a major threat in the movie. Furthermore, the mystery genre has always captured me to be the best genre because it is so action packed and entertaining. The genre as a whole is not restricted to solely solving a mystery because there are several other factors that go into the making of the film that are not mandatory, but can be great additions. Mystery films are also so appealing to me because they add suspense to the film viewing that is not seen in all film genres. I enjoy having a sense of suspense while watching a movie because it keeps my interest and makes me want to know what happens next. One important quality of a movie in my eyes is that there is a series of events that are all connected in some way. Many action movies do not have a set plot, but rather they have a random series of events that are occurring one after another yet have no real connection or contribution to the film's overall plot. The majority of mystery films do a great job on having relevant scenes that give the audience something to think about or determine. These scenes may include investigations where suspects or alibis are established and discovered in great depth in order to allow the audience or characters in the film to build more knowledge and intel on the conflict of the movie. Lastly, the mystery genre is so interesting to me because the major conflict within the movie is often very moving and can be found in real life. Many murder mysteries are very interesting because they often occur in real life and are of great importance in the movie as well as in our everyday world.

My Film Opening Project - Genre & Group Members

I will be working with Trent Fetzer, Chris Charlestin, and Lenka Okenkova and we will be doing the mystery genre.