Finding footage to use in title sequence

  We wanted to use real footage from China so to keep away from Chinese copyright laws so we have decided to use news from China. Involving such items as gang warfare and riots and protests. We have found these two videos on YouTube and we are hoping to fit both of these videos within our title sequence and i think we shall shorten them slightly so we can fit the best parts of the news clips in our title sequence.

Music for title sequence

Today we looked at a lot of Chinese music, but a lot of it sounded very much like an older Chinese style of music. It sounded as if it was very old and it had that ancient sound to it. But we wanted something fast paced and like an American rap. So we chose this song as we thought the beginning of the song would fit our music video well, so we shall edit the song so we just use the beginning of the song for our title sequence.

Chinese Copyright laws

These are the Chinese copyright laws that we found that say we are allowed to use Chinese music if it is used for work purposes only.

Article 2 Works of Chinese citizens, legal entities or other organizations, whether published or not, shall enjoy copyright in accordance with this Law.

Any work of a foreigner or stateless person which is eligible to enjoy copyright under an agreement concluded between the country to which the foreigner belongs or in which he has habitual residence and China, or under an internationa1 treaty to which both countries are party, shall be protected in accordance with this Law.

Works of foreigners or stateless persons first published in the territory of the People's Republic of China shall enjoy copyright in accordance with this Law.

Any work of a foreigner who belongs to a country which has not concluded an agreement with China, or which is not a party to an international treaty with China or a stateless person first published in an country which is a party to an international treaty with China, or in such a member state or nonmember state, shall be protected in accordance with this Law. 

Article 3 For the purposes of this Law, the term "works" includes works of literature, art, natural science, social science, engineering technology and the like which are expressed in the following forms:

(1) written works;

(2) oral works;

(3) musical, dramatic, quyi', choreographic and acrobatic works;

(4) works of fine art and architecture;

(5) photograPh1c works;

(6) cinematographic works and works created by virtue of an analogous method of film production;

(7) drawings of engineering designs, and product designs; maps, sketches and other graphic works and model works;

(8) computer software;

(9) other works as provided for in laws and administrative regulations.

Songs

This is the song in which we would love to be able to use within our title sequence, we are still looking within the Chinese copy right laws. We think this would fit perfectly within our title sequence and we hope to be able to use it.

Codes and Conventions of a crime TV show and Film title sequence

Seven opening title sequence



We have looked into seven's opening title sequence before and have found that a code and convention in many crime films title sequences they never seem to show the lead role. This is an aspect we would like to incorporate in to our title sequence. As all the way throughout seven's title sequence we see the lead role writing, and scribbling. He's crossing out faces and looking into certain texts and this sort of in depth studying is an apparent convention in many other crime films. We would like to also incorporate this into our own title sequence, as we want our investigator to be studying texts and looking in to particular cases. Another code and convention found from seven is that of a tense atmosphere and a mysterious aroma. As the lead role is still not unmasked by the end of it, this code and convention appears in many other crime films as they like to make audiences feel insecure about what is going on. We can compare this greatly to another opening title sequence we found from the movie "The Departed". As this shows there lead role looming amongst shadows which for audiences is very eerie and unnerving.

The Departed opening title sequence

The departed opening title sequence codes and conventions feature the lead role being covered by shadows and constantly hidden in the dark. This is a very common feature to crime movies to not show there lead role in the opening title sequence as it adds an element of surprised when he or she is unveiled. It is also a common code and convention as it gives audiences strong emotions and opinions upon the lead role. As the lead roles distance creates a sense of power amongst them, a massive sense of importance and that they seem wise and all knowing. His presence not be particularly visable makes his welfare much more unkown for audiences therefore it is creating audiences to feel worried for him but also a little bit nervous for how things are going to pan out.

Click Here for "How to Kill a Mockingbird" Opening Title Sequence

In the title sequence for "How to kill a mockingbird" the codes and conventions that we have found are that it also contains elements of mystery as we only see a characters hands. Following the charcter throughout their journey of writing and looking for things, gives the title sequence the codes and conventions of making its audiences feel insecure about their current situation.

Codes and Conventions of title sequences

*Music sets the tone for a film.

*The text connotates the type of film it is.

*Details of cast and crew.

*Films title.

*Introduction to character and character type.

*Indication of place.

*Indication of historial period.

*Information regarding mood and tone.

*Introduction to signature theme tune.

*Information about Genre.

*Questions that the viewer finds intriguing.

*Patterns and types of editing that will be echoed in the remainder of the film.

*Mise-en-scene and cinematography that will be echoed or elaborated upon later on in the film.

Further Research of Crime Genre...(Item 1-6 of Research Evidence)

For my Research i have chosen to look into different aspects of crime genres and they are TV and Films. I wanted to section each aspect off and look at them individually to demonstrate the codes and conventions needed for each one.

TV-
Firstly I would like to start by looking a television series that falls under the Crime genre. The television series i have chosen is that of "The Closer", this is also representing that of American TV. Perhaps how there codes and conventions are similar to those that are presented in English television shows.
THE CLOSER-

















The closer is a hit American TV show that looks into the work and lifes of a Los Angeles homicide provision team. Here is a breif sypnosis so that the codes and conventions can be easily demonstrated.The programme mainly delves into the life of its lead role "Deputy police cheif Brenda Johnon" who is control of her team of policemen, who look into serious homicidal cases everyday. The programme looks at how her work affects her life, and the realtionships she has with her husband and family. Typical codes and conventions here of a crime TV programme are that of the cases being relatively easy, and like a guessing game. So they can get them over with quickly and move on to the next case. This theme to crime TV shows is relatable to that of the work of real policemen and women. Other codes and conventions are such as the camerawork being typical over the shoulder techiques to demonstrate lots of conversations.

Films- The film i have chosen to look at is that of the film "Shutter Island". I want to look at this films synopsis and the films codes and conventions to compare it to those of a TV programmes. As this will be research within the actual genre to demonstrate how key aspects are similar and very much the same.

SHUTTER ISLAND-

A very breif synopsis of the film is that it is about a police investigator who goes and investigates the disappearance of an mentally ill patient from a high security island. The codes and conventions of this film are that of very dark lighting and dramatic use of camera positions. But also has a lot of over the shoulder shots this refers back to the work seen in that of a TV crime series.

Analysis of contempary vs. older title sequences...(Items 1-6 of Research Evidence)

For my analysis the two title sequence designers i have chosen are Saul Bass and Paul Donnellon. I have chosen Paul Donnellon as i have researched his work before and he continues to have contemporary elements to all of his title sequences. I have chosen Saul Bass as i have looked upon some of his work previously and found out that he has inspired many title sequence designers. I found some evidence to this is some aspects of Donnellons title sequences appear to have Saul Bass interpretations. To star off with it shall be better to look upon Saul Bass' work to illustrate the theory of him inspiring many other title sequence designers.

Saul Bass:
When looking at Saul Bass' work there are many elements to all of his title sequences that are similar he definately seems to have his own style and mark on things. Spirals and the use of lines are very prominent throughout Bass' work, this is a good key in making him a recognisable figure. The main reason why i chose to look at Saul Bass is that he has worked on many famous old movies, and the ways in which he chooses to project the emotions and illustrate the genres interests me. I believe this has indeed helped to path the way title sequence designers work today, Bass' use of relatable music and iconography really demonstrate the themes of the film early on for audiences.When looking at Saul Bass' work one particular title sequence stood out for me and this was from the film "Psycho". As i have seen this film many times before and watching after say a huge blockbuster movie you can definately see how the newer films have incorporated these elements of music and typography into there movies. Here is a link to the title sequence in particular...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tek8QmKRODw

Paul Donnellon:

When looking at the work of Paul Donnellon i found his references to comic books and cartoons very interesting. He seems to take a very humorous angle to them, yet very surreal in a sense as he puts in iconic elements to the film. For example a particular prop or a characteristic of a person within the film. His work seems very rare to me as i feel as if not many title sequence designers choose to use cartoon Esq title sequences when the film is not in fact a cartoon at all. I feel as if this is a unique edge to Donnellon and as if he is trying to relate to older title sequence designers. Now to compare this to that of a piece of work by Paul Donnellon, I chosen the film "Smokin Aces" although this film in particular may not be seen as brand new. It is still contemporary as it was made in 2006 this is still a vast time difference to that of "Psycho" which was made in 1960. I have chosen "Smokin Aces" because it has similar themes and conventions to psycho. As "Smokin Aces" is a crime drama i feel its relatable to that of "Psycho" as it has the same elements of desperation and anticipation. One feature i found in the title sequence to "Smokin Aces" was its uses of blocked shapes and colours. This is what made the title sequence stand out for me with references to comic books. This shows massive similarities to Saul Bass by the ways in which Donnellon uses block lines and the movements of the lines are comparative to Bass'. Below is the title sequence to "Smokin Aces".

Bass inspiring new and contemporary title sequence designers has been proved. There are many similarities between the two title sequences that can even be broken down even more, into there connotations perhaps being similar. Yet in looking at the differences that are evident we can see that the times have changed. Th technology is far more advanced in the present, so the use of advanced cartoons and cgi are changing the ways in which we view our title sequences. As we can see from comparing the two the Saul Bass' title sequence is far more simplistic. Where as Paul Donnellon's is visually more compelling and divulges into the characters and the themes more. e

I feel as if analysing who prevails old or contemporary, that it is close to a draw but overall i think in my own personal opinion that old prevails. Looking at many title sequences you can see the Saul Bass' inspirations. For example the other day i watched "Sweeny Todd" and was astounded to see so many Saul Bass' references. Through spirals and swirls to project his iconic imagery into a contemporary film. This is an example in which for me sums up conclusively why i feel old prevails. As other the many years Saul Bass is still being referred to a lot, this is a vast achievement. Also this has shaped how we view title sequences all together, so in a sense we are thankful to Saul Bass as now we have compelling and structurally beautiful and iconic imagery to introduce to us plenty of movies.

Looking at Title Sequences!!!

THIS IS THE "SONS OF ANARCHY" OPNING CREDITS..


I have chosen to look at the "Sons of Anarchy" title sequence as i thought there was a lot of interesting mise-en-scene, cinematography,editing and sound used. Firstly the lighting throughout the title sequence gives it an essence of a spot light as if the characters are in some kind of police line up. The darkness of the backgrounds makes the title sequence evoke brooding and dangerous emotions that seem to be amongst the characters and the programme itself. I particularly found interesting the way in which they used special effects to put tattoos amongst each of the actors illustrating their names. This gave familiarisation's with the biker image of that they all seem to be covered in tattoos. This type of special effect in this title sequence is what makes it original and unique to me as its evoking a stereotypical nature but in a harmless manner. Also the fact that the tattoos disappear off of the actors bodies, shows audiences that these are all real everyday people just like anyone else. Also i like the relation between the studio using the tattoos for representation as this is what it is like for real bikers as they are expressing themselves through tattoo's also.

The studio sound of the song used in this title sequence is what attracted me to it as well, as the singer has that roughness to his voice and the lyrics used really takes you on a journey. A journey in the life of bikers, i feel as if this song gives audiences the chance to hear the sort of music bikers might listen to. The lyrics really seem to some up each characters life giving the audience a relatability factor to them all. The rough voice used by the singer is also and indication to the sort of dangerous, reckless and manly characters that will appear within the title sequence and the TV show. The mise-en-scene in this title sequence indicates the body language of the bikers and there wives and girlfriends to be that of strong, sexual and intimidating. Through the use of them being semi-naked and the fact that the end image is of a man flexing his muscles connotes strength and that there all proud and that none are self conscious there all comfortable with themselves.

The quick editing used of images of weapons such as guns and bullets connotes there importance within the show, that these are the necessities to survive within their world. The quickness indicates these are all images you will see a lot throughout the show, so there's no need for real emphasis on them. The typography used in this sequence seems to look like that sort you would find on a wanted poster. Also it gives the programme some historical background to present it as being a bike gang that has been around for many years. Overall i chose this Title sequence as i felt this was very simplistic in its pure meaning and it was effortlessly stunning. The special effects, editing, sound and lighting all contributed to make the title sequence feel realistic and relatable to its audiences. I have never seen a title sequence take sterotypes and put them in a nature and non offence way, the title sequence to me was an overall success.

Analysis of The Infernal Affair 2 and The Departed Title Sequences...

The infernal affair and the departed are the chosen films that we will study in aid to help us with our title sequence. Both films are within the crime genre.

Infernal affairs- This film's title sequence has helped us a lot as it has shown us how to present our triad. It has also taught us a lot about mise-en-scene and cinematography. As we know think we can play a lot of tricks within lighting for example we can use a lot of dull and depressing lighting. This film has shown us that within our title sequence we should not focus too much on our suspect and our investigator instead we should only shoot them from side angles and long shots and extreme long shots.

The Departed - This film's title sequence has also helped us a lot, as we would love to incorporate what they have done with their lead role to our investigator. As they have also used dark and dull lighting like we would like to. They have concealed who their lead character is by never showing his face. We thought that we could now do this by getting our investigator to never look at the camera and only get the back and side of his head.

The Departed opening

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4nUFxsZqpA

The Infernal Affair Opening 2

Title Sequence Designer- Paul Donnellon.

Biography..
Paul Donnellon works within title sequence designing, he originates from Dublin this is were he studied animation and graphic design at Dun Laoighaire college for Art and Design. Paul has a background of work within animations leading back to his earlier work at TVC in London the company that animated the Beatles music video "Yellow Subarmine" and "The Snowman". Paul Donnellon's first piece of actual animation work was in Raymond Briggs "When the wind blows" and this was in 1986. From 2000 to 2002 Paul moved to the Oscar winning company The Mill as the consultant director of 3D animation. Since then he has been able to create his own company called Voodoodog with David Z. Obadiah. His work as a commercials director include: CBBC's launch idents, Mercury award-winning Talvin Singh, Pink Flyd ad Kate Winslet music video 'What If'.

A Catalogue of Paul Donnellon's work..
•Nanny Mcphee
•Nanny Mcphee Returns
•Smokin Aces
•Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
•The A Team
•The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
•Love in the Time of Cholera
•The River King
•Made of Honour.

Smokin Aces


With this title sequence we notice how Paul has used his ecperience of his Graphic Design. He uses this sort of typography as it is bold and shows a manly side to it and even though it is very simple it also shows us that you need to find a deeper meaning in the type. it shows that the film is very bold and manly and everything is to the point just as the text is. This sequence is very cimic book like the way he uses still images to slow things to look at tehm and puts it over a background to make it look like an animation which he also studied.

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
http://www.voodoodog.com/work/film/title-sequences/peter-sellers/clip-player
(This is a link to the title sequence)

With this title sequence we see a more fun side to Paul as he once again uses his experience of Graphic Design and Animation to use in this sequence. The typography shows that it is a fun and comical film by using the bright colours, fun typography and how it pops up onto the screen or more of a hop. Also when the animation begins we see flowers around the first name from the movie and once again shows a fun bright side to the movie. Also when in the animation he knocks over the lamp and does not care it shows that the film is very comical.

Paul Donnellon's Comments on Nanny McPhee
"Nanny McPhee is a colorful kids movie. The director, Kirk Jones, saw our Peter Sellers title sequence and asked us to pitch on his opening credits."

"I drew caricatures of the main child cast and constructed cut out figures rather than going for full drawn animation, like we did before in the Peter Sellers sequence. It gave a different effect and still holds your interest and gives the audience something to leave the cinema with."