1) What have the deconstructions told you about the openings of movies?
The deconstructions I did have helped me understand that the first two minutes of a movie are vital for setting the overall mood throughout. As a result of doing these I have learned that movies carry many subliminal meanings and concepts, be them intentional or entirely co-incidental. With viewing the first two minutes of these films many times, I was able to pick up on these hidden concepts and meanings, which then helped me to have a greater understanding of the film as a whole.
The first two minutes of a film are usually either used to introduce the audience to the main character(s), to outline the main plot of the story, or to set a particular mood to be held by the audience throughout the production. These are all ways to receive and maintain the audience’s attention. Through my deconstructions, I have learned that the mood of a movie can be set in a variety of different ways. These methods can be through; connotations, music or the behaviour or actions of the cast. Connotations are used as a way of signifying certain concepts or moods without obviously communicating them to the audience. For example, the use of greyscale (black and white) filming in a horror movie may suggest themes of a sinister or eerie nature, whereas the use of bright primary colours in a child’s animated movie may suggest moods of a happy and care-free nature. Music is one of the most obvious ways of establishing the mood of a movie. For example, fast-paced or up-beat music may connote a mood of urgency whereas classical or baroque styles of music may establish moods of a more gentle nature.
For the first two minutes of a film to be effective, it needs to catch the audience’s attention, without giving too much away as regards the plot. A long conversation between two characters may not be an ideal way to begin a film as the audience could lose interest, thus giving them a negative outlook on the entire film. However, by beginning the film with exciting, funny or visually pleasing footage, the viewers are more likely to remain interested. A montage of shots is another technique that can be used in order to create curiosity among viewers. The use of credits at the beginning of a film is commonly used to create interest for the audience. However, this method only really works for films starring well known actors, as the sight of their name in the first two minutes of a movie may grab the attention of viewers and create further interest in the film. Also it might offer some clarity as to what genre the film will be, because some actors specialise in appearing in only certain genres of films. For example, Brad Pitt will be associated with action films and Hugh Grant will be associated with romantic comedies, as they are the specific film genre they most commonly
appear in.]
2) What has your target audience research told you about likes, dislikes and viewing habits?
My target audience research has told me that 82.6% of people who took part in my survey enjoy watching horror films. This is certainly a reassuring result as the project my group and I will be working on will be a horror film. On the negative side however, we found that werewolves were not the most popular of horror film characters.
The results of my survey have also told me that Britain is the most popular location for the production of horror films. This is helpful information as I now know to research British Horror films to find out what specific features are best to include in my final film.
3) How have you used the above research to make planning decisions regarding your movie?
From my deconstructions I learned that most films are slow to get going, and don’t often contain much information regarding the main plot line. As a result I have decided to keep the beginning of my movie simple and straightforward. I won’t include much specific detail about the plot line, however I will try and include enough to add suspense and leave the viewers wanting more. My deconstructions have also taught me that the first two minutes of a film is usually where the main characters are introduced. For example, the first two minutes of Hot Fuzz was made up of a montage of shots accompanied by a narration of the main character’s life history. After learning this, I decided I should include the main characters in the first two minutes of my film so the audience can familiarise themselves with them before the storyline gets more complex.
From my target audience research, I have found that the majority of people I asked enjoy watching British horror films. This gave me the idea to research a selection of horror films produced by British production companies as to get ideas of the acting, filming and post production techniques.
