Evaluation For Doppelganger OTS (Plus Prezi Format)

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?


My opening title sequence, Doppelganger, already acknowledges the audience that it is a thriller due to the choice of typography for the title. [see image below] The word 'Doppelganger' stands for the description of the Doppelganger (The Suited) shown in the OTS who is 'empty' - the font style chosen to represent this is bold, therefore made known (in a smart suit which demands respect), chosen the 'outline' of the title to be the colour white as to represent that the Doppelganger is a 'ghost' of The Casual (appears the same but very different personalities - shown in their costumes) and I have chosen the inside of 'Doppelganger' to be black to signify emptiness and hatred (seen from the 'target list' that he has eliminated many 'important' people in the 'movie world').

A still from 'Doppelganger'

My OTS is introduced with a blackout similar to most conventional thriller-esque films such as Catch Me As You Can [see video above from 0:00 to 0:05] and the title's composition is in the bottom left of the frame of the rule of thirds, which generates interest than if it were central. The title fades in, slowly 'floats' like a ghost from left to right then it fades out - a brief impression of what the Doppelganger would be like when he is shown on screen. There is a lack of background music when the title appears but as soon as it fades away, the background music fades in with an almost heartbeat-type tempo when we see the opening sequence of The Suited buttoning his shirt sleeve.


This already creates almost a confusion to the audience and develops an enigma, therefore the viewers would need to carry on watching to piece the 'puzzle' pieces together.
I have chosen to use extreme close ups at the beginning, so to exclude what is not needed in the frame, therefore the audience is 'forced' to focus on what's being shown in the frame and it creates a sense of mystery of who this person may be.
I intentionally reveal more and more clues within each shot, of who these people may be, for example: you firstly see somebody buttoning up a shirt sleeve with a tie on - someone going somewhere important or someone who belongs to an important company, thus need to wear a smart suit?
I have strategically chose to jump cut to someone completely different who had just finished reading a game booklet - who is shown not getting ready in this shot - rather 'casual' as the viewers may think?
Then so on, revealing more of each character's characteristics - the audience will very quickly learn that these are two very different people, eventually revealing their faces. I have used this technique to 'play' with the audience, to set a challenge for them - thus encouraging them to continue watching.


I have challenged some conventions in thriller films and that is the exposing the weapons to the audience. To explain to the audience that these two characters are completely different, I have used a 'weapon' for The Casual and a weapon for The Suited - so the tension suddenly peaks as The Suited handles the deadly weapon.


The convention of a thriller would be for the more deadly weapon (the knife) to be shown at a low angle and the weaker 'weapon' (the chopsticks) shown at a high angle.
I have challenged the convention by firstly showing the more weaker 'weapon' first (the lightsaber chopsticks) and it being shown from a low angle, therefore making the harmless 'weapon' to be something to be feared of. [go to video below 3:37 to 4:04 to brief reasoning behind chopsticks] The more seemingly dangerous weapon is shown from a high angle, thus making it appear obsolete.





This technique that I have demonstrate would be perceived as peculiar to the audience, thus making it a more noticeable clue for the audience of what could happen next for the characters later in the film, if I were to carry of filming. With this in mind, I would make the climax of the film to be The Suited and The Casual to have met and they are in a middle of a fight scene where the Lightsaber chopsticks would assist The Casual by stabbing them in The Suited's eye therefore helping him escaping from a very close encounter of The Suited's knife. Consequently the knife appears inferior whilst the chopsticks proved superior.
I had been inspired to do so by the film, 127 Hours, where the director, Danny Boyle reveals in the OTS the little hints and clues of what's going to come. The OTS shows the viewers the main character's water wastage [video below 1:22, 1:40, 1:53 and 1:57] has been emphasised by the camera cutting back to the water bottle and the tap numerous times. Boyle has done this this many times so the viewers are made sure to remember the importance of water in this film. What I could do to improve this technique in my OTS, 'Doppelganger' is to cut back to the weapons numerous times, just like Boyle made sure of, so the audience will get the 'hint' of what's to come.








How does your media product represent particular social groups and who would be the audience for your media product?


My media product has two different characters - The Suited who is from the MI6 ((in the UK) The governmental agency responsible for dealing with matters of internal security and counter-intelligence overseas.) and The Casual who is a student who has a love of games and all things science-fiction.
I had only briefly explained the representation of these characters in this video earlier: [go to 2:52 to 3:36] 






As my target audience age range is between 15 to 25 years of age, my main characters are a similar age to them. The Suited would be 25 years old as he seems pretty young and capable to eliminating his 'targets'. His targets are as listed:
*Chuck Norris ("In late 2005, Norris became the object of an ironic internet meme known as "Chuck Norris Facts", which document fictional, often absurdly heroic feats and characteristics about Norris." For example from the website: "Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.", "When Chuck Norris plays hide and seek, even google can't find him." and "Death once had a near-Chuck Norris experience") - If Chuck is thought to be impossible to beat, The Suited finished him off first on his 'target list' thus instantly appears as a superior character to the target audience.
*Matt Damon (Known to had played amnesiac assassin 'Jason Bourne' the lead role in The Bourne series) - The amnesiac assassin has been eliminated by The Suited - more superiority gained.
*Jason Statham (Known to had played 'Frank Martin' from The Transporter - deals mostly antagonist-esque characters in delivering their 'packages')
*Liam Neeson (Known to had played 'Qui-Gon Jinn' from the Star Wars prequels (hence the Star Wars chopsticks) who's a wise and powerful Jedi Master)
*Jason Cleaver (His doppelganger) - Currently not crossed off.


With The Suited's 'target list', they named these four known actors/character in which movie-goers who attend the cinema or watches a fair amount of films would know of - which is my target audience. Therefore, my target audience are represented already in the OTS - creating a connection.
The names listed were males - mainly females are the victims but as they were 'eliminated' - it would be too gruesome and 'woman killer' comes to mind about The Suited - a man killing numerous 'helpless' women would be seen as 'too easy of a fight' therefore only males are the 'targets'. They are more seen as a 'good fight' - a man killing another man in the 'movie world' is seen 'less harsh' than a man killing a woman.
One point of the 'target list' is the handwriting used that appears too feminine, so that would be an improvement to work on if I were to develop this OTS into a full featured film. A feature film is a film that is 40 minutes or longer long according to the British Film Institute, American Film Institute and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, though Screen Actors Guild states that it runs 80 minutes or longer.
The Suited is a very far-fetched character whom my target audience couldn't relate to directly whilst The Casual is just your average teenager who is fond of the movies and all things sci-fi who is an easier character to relate to.


The Casual is represented as the stereotypical 'gamer geek' teenager, hence the chosen properties and costumes of:
*a PS3 game booklet and case
*on show, his 1UP Mushroom on his wrist (show how dedication with a tattoo)

*his mostly hidden yet still on show, Thor t-shirt (the Thor t-shirt is designed so it looks like that HE IS Thor - see image) 
*the Star Wars chopsticks (elements of sci-fi film and relates to The Suited's 'target list')
*his glasses (stereotypical geek - to be precise, 'gamer geek' - needs his glasses maybe he played on his game consoles too much?)


The Uses and Gratifications Theory is based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and it is an approach to understanding why media-users use the media to satisfy certain needs. This theory relates to my target audience as they would use my piece of media as a conversation starter between people who had seen 'Doppelganger', a source of 'escapism' as The Suited's character is part of the MI6 and gaining aesthetic enjoyment from it.


I have gained inspiration from Richard Ayoade's Submarine as he incorporates numerous movie references into this film. For example: "Don't Look Now (1973) 
Oliver's nightmare in which he mistakes Jordana for an older person wearing the same red hood refers to the climax of this film. Oliver later suggests that the nightmare is based on some film."

Submarine is a movie more aimed at the older generation audience hence the nostalgia-feel as it is set in the 1986. The evidence I have got from this is from the time where my classmates, Craig, Charlie and I attended a Cinema City A Level Media Day: Identity and the Media in the Postmodern Age on the 8th February 2012, which included a showing of Submarine and a Q&A session with Ally Gipps who is the Associate Producer of Submarine. I have recorded the session in note-form in a notepad and one of the questions were: "Who is the target audience for Submarine?" and Gipps replied: "It is a film about teens for those who were teens in the 80s - a sense of nostalgia."


The actors/character in the 'target list' starred in films that I've named from as early as 1999 for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, the first of the prequel which involves Darth Maul (back to the Star Wars chopsticks - they are the Darth Maul ones). The Transporter 2002 and The Bourne Identity 2002, many viewers between 15 to 25 would have seen all of these films and understood it's reference and it's importance within the OTS, Doppelganger.


What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?


STUDIOCANAL formerly known as 'Optimum Releasing' (founded in 1999) said "has established a reputation for an innovative approach to distribution and has enjoyed success with a varied mix of film titles across all genres."
This distributor is based in London and has been established in 2004.
With the reputation for innovative approach to distribution, this factor would be ideal for a thriller like 'Doppelganger' as an that sort of distribution would help attract attention from the target audience.

For example: Kill Bill's (distributed by STUDIOCANAL) billboard advertising campaign is very over-the-top and 'screams' attention from anyone who passes by. The film itself has over-the-top action where it's unbelievable (chopping off limbs and the antagonists still live, whilst in reality, they would've bled to death) and extremely violent (limbs being cut off, graphic murders etc). This is ideal for 'Doppelganger' as it would gain attention and leaves a lasting impression therefore the audience would have to watch to find out what the film is about.
A billboard advertising campaign for 'Doppelganger' would be a close up cropped image of The Suited with his knife partially hidden with his eye looking shifty and a image that 'comes out' of the billboard of The Casual jumping from the billboard into a physical garbage bin.


How did you attract/address your audience?


How I attracted my audience was by revealing two different personalities and the extensive use of jump cuts to 'play' with the audience's mind like a challenge to piece the 'pieces' of these two characters up. These shots between scenes has quick fades which introduces the viewer each time to the two different locations where these characters were.
The first shot that I have chosen to show first is The Suited buttoning up his sleeve, this generates questions and keeps the viewers interested in what the enigma could be.    


My first edit of 'Doppelganger' wasn't much of a success - as the exam board only allows the maximum of two minutes of finished piece to be an opening title sequence, I had to cut out much of my footage so to make my OTS plausible and fit within the two minutes.
I had encountered many obstacles whilst filming, such as one actor dropped out  therefore I had to improvise by filming myself into the OTS with the help of mirrors and 'testing shoots'. I also had to film on different days where the weather is noticeably different and noticed numerous continuity errors (Jason had white shirt underneath in one scene then it's a red shirt and one shot where he hasn't got glasses and when he has got glasses) which I am not proud of. 


From the feedback that I had received, even though it was said to be "perfectly fine but need to add credits, more different shots etc" and "the quality of the film is fantastic" - I have come to a conclusion to re-shoot the whole OTS again with fresher ideas and this time including a variety of shots which would hold the viewer's interest longer.


After re-shooting the whole OTS and edited the raw footage in post-production - there has been a huge improvements with less negative comments from the second focus group. With the feedback of my first edit, I had learnt from my mistakes and had grown more confident with filming my second edit - kept in mind what my audience is looking for in a thriller with the resources I have available.


What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this project?


During the process of constructing this OTS, I had used many technologies which in aid formed this project. I have used my DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) camera, Panasonic Lumix G10 which allows me to record in HD (High Definition), I used my iMac to edit my raw footage and used the editing program, Final Cut Pro (the free trial) which is a professional edited package.
As Final Cut Pro is new to me, I have 'trialled and error'-ed many features from  the program such as how to get rid of the recorded footage's sound completely (see images below).
I feel confident with my editing skills with Final Cut Pro as I had learnt new skills from using the program. 

Before any changes

Loudness levels are reduced to the minimum and the Background Noise Removal is set to 100%

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?






I had some amateur filming before this course with some friends on days out. I never used shot-reverse shots, 180-degree rules or taken too much care in match-on-action as they were just little clips I edit together to no music in the 
background.
In the making of my preliminary task, there was a process of drafting ideas of what could possibly film, a storyboard of the shot types I may used beforehand (which I had learnt, saves a lot of time during the filming process as I am able to film what I needed), planning when to record during the day around when my actors were available and to avoid continuity mistakes.
While filming the preliminary task [see my preliminary task video above], it was my first time using these shot types with actors with actual rehearsed dialogues for them to say. I feel that I had done very well in filming the preliminary task as I had shown all of the required shots types that I had mentioned above clearly and I had noticed that it gives a very professional feel to the finished preliminary product.

With the experience of producing a 'practice product', I had gained more confidence with filming what I needed for an effective thriller OTS and that was to plan out with storyboard plus to record most of the OTS in one day to avoid external factors (such as change of weather).
The main product, producing the full OTS, 'Doppelganger', I had learnt what directors and editors must experience whilst editing films that are shown to target audiences in mind - they had to be careful with continuity errors, must make sure that the film makes sense, to improvise certain pieces when an actor is absent and most importantly to make sacrifices when a project goes wrong (for me, when the limit is two minutes and tried to fit my OTS around this limit).

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Here is the Prezi format of my evaluation.

'Doppelganger' OTS Evaluation on Prezi

If the Prezi presentation doesn't work, do click on the link above named "'Doppelganger' OTS Evaluation" and that should take you directly to the video on the Prezi website.

Remaining And Updated Research

Mise-en-Scene: The definition is 'everything that is in the scene' - that means the props, the actors, the lighting used, the costume and the decoration of the background. With taking care of what's in the frame, the Mise-en-Scene can make or break a piece of footage.
Make: correct properties, costumes etc for a period drama.
Break: continuity errors will develop if incorrect properties etc where used.
To make sure that I have an effective and correct Mise-en-Scene for 'Doppelganger', I made sure that I have all of the footage that I need in one day, so I do not have to continue filming on a separate day. Where external factors could lead to continuity errors, such as the weather changing, actor becoming ill - which I am trying my best to avoid.


Lighting: This factor is very important in film as it can alter a viewer's mood and the scene's atmosphere depending of it's strength.
For example: if a lighting is weak and gives a dull image, if the appropriate scene is used - the scene would be very effective in a horror genre.
Another example: if lighting is strong and gives almost an harsh image, and if the appropriate scene is used - the scene would be effective for a comedy.
For my OTS, the lighting would be natural from daylight, so to give a more realistic and comfortable feel for the viewers.


Camera angles and composition: A camera angle is the angle which is pointed at the subject. [Below are own pictures for visual examples]
Low angle - where the camera is lower than the subject and is 'looking up' at the subject. Makes the viewer feel vulnerable and make the subject more overpowering - powerful.

Low angle

High angle - where the camera is higher than the subject and is 'looking down' at the subject. Makes the viewer more powerful and make the suject feel more timid and weak.

High angle

Dutch tilt - where the camera is tilted to give an unusual feel in the frame, this is mainly used to create a sense of oddity in the scene, effective when someone is on drugs and this scene is instantly seen as strange.

Dutch angle

The angles that I used are a high angle for The Suited, so the knife is exposed and vulnerable to piercing someone. I have used low angle for The Casual, so the chopstick 'weapons' were seen as powerful - breaking conventions of a thriller.


Composition is a constructive structure in a frame, whether intentional or unintentional. For example, for a horror, the composition would be intentional as the Mise-en-Scene are in place correctly to create the desired and effective effect. Whilst a documentary would be filming things that may or may not belong to a frame, but with the right skills, it can be effective - for example: if rule of thirds is used, the images will seem appealing and so would using depth of field.
I have been taking care in the composition of my OTS as I have included and excluded what I need and not need in the frame - so there are no unnecessary distractions.


Sound/music: Diegetic sounds are sound whose source which are visually seen coming from the scene or from the film's 'world', for example: dialogue from characters, music from the radio in the scene etc. Another term for diegetic sound is actual sound.
Non-diegetic sound are sound coming from a source that is outside the film, for example: narrator's commentary, mood music (background music) etc. Another term for non-diegetic sound is commentary sound.
This combination of sounds/music used in a certain type of film can be effective depending on its use. For a scene to be realistic in a park during the summer, diegetic sounds of birds, other people talking would be effective. Whilst for a scene to be unrealistic in a park in the summer would be diegetic sounds of harsh winds blowing and rain pouring.
The music I've used for my OTS would be non-diegetic and no diegetic sounds of dialogue etc, so to build the mood and tension for the viewers and then use demarcation of non-diegetic into diegetic sounds which lets the viewer know when the OTS ends.


Audience theory: Hypodermic Needle Model - where intended information from the media is directly 'injected' into the receiver's heads. Also like taking control of the receiver's thoughts completely but this is an obsolete theory today as it is out of date. An example: we see spiders something to be feared of because many characters in a movie are afraid of them.
Two-Step Flow - where the media's message is not received directly but it is 'filtered' through "opinion leaders" which them have their own take on the information then finally it is passed to receivers. For example: a TV programme is watched by an "opinion leader" who may be a film critic, writes a review and receivers will read the film critic's film review and decide what to think of the programme without even watching it themselves.
Uses and Gratifications - this theory explains that receivers chose what texts they want to receive for four different purposes:
*diversion: escape from everyday activities and routines
*personal relationships: using the media for emotional and other interactions
*personal identity: finding self reflected in texts, and values
*surveillance: information useful for living, like weather reports, news stories etc.


As there are masses of thriller-based films released already - my viewers are already conditioned, hence the reasons for thriller conventions, as they are expected to feel that tension has been built up to reveal someone - creating an enigma. I have used weapons such as the knife as part of the enigma as well as two characters that seem to link as they are basically the same person - but the audience would want to carry on watching to get the full understanding.


Exhibition and distribution: My main task if it were complete into a full feature film, would be exhibited in a local, independent cinema like Cinema City - where they target a niche market as my audience for 'Doppelganger' would be niche as it doesn't have mass appeal.
I would distribute 'Doppelganger' as a physical DVD sold only in independent media shops and online from big business websites like HMV as well as released as downloads - because it would only have a niche appeal.

Representation Of Age

In my media group, we began to consider the different types of people that are represented in TV Drama - in this blog post, I will be explaining more in depth of how television dramas represent age. After studying in depth of typical representation of age - Craig, Charlie and I were set a task to create and produce an atypical representation of age.

Typically the younger generation, especially teenagers are represented negatively in majority of TV Dramas, for example, in class we watched a short clip of Waterloo Road (see below).

Within this short clip, we very quickly see these two teenage boys during school to be suspiciously handling a video recorder - one teen uncovers it carefully and when a teacher comes along to see what they were up to, the same teen very swiftly picks the video recorder up and hides it in his coat.
For the audience, only 10 seconds into this video, we see that these teenage boys had done wrong.
This clip also reveals that these boys are careless and maybe even stupid as the teacher shows the viewers that the video recorder is obviously broken as he hangs it from its fold-out screen. Thus, showing the viewers that teenagers have still got a lot to learn their rights from wrongs - by showing stupidity, naiveness and still like children in teenage bodies!


This continues to show other teenagers in the school to be experiencing family problems at home (some sort of affair between parents) - therefore triggering the more fiery personalities and attitudes these teens are displaying.


As a teenager myself, I know that these typical teenagers represented on television are exaggerated for entertainment - or else it wouldn't make good television, hence why Waterloo Road has lasted seven series since March 2006.
Not every teenager will be experiencing all of these problems - some may be more closed up about them, or they don't even have these problems - because it all come from their upbringing.


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The older generation, especially Old Age Pensioners (OAPs) are typically represented in TV Drama as frail, forgetful (maybe suffering from Dementia - common in over 65 year olds) and almost ridiculous with their doings (the forgetfulness? useless with technology?). These elements would create comedy gold but that's just being stereotypical. Then again, these elements could be tweaked so it would tell a more upsetting story.
But however the TV drama represents the older generation - we as viewers always feel some level of sympathy for them.


I cold not find the clip that the class watched for this topic, so from what I remember, it would be categorised in the comedy genre as there was non-diegetic sounds of 'canned laughter' or if I'm wrong, the scene may had been performed in front of a live audience?


With this laughter as we see an older gentleman handling an old phone (this particular show seems like it could be from the 90s due to its grainy, low definition quality footage) he doesn't seem to quite grasp the 'skill' that us younger generation has somehow grasped - I think he may had the phone upside down and also, we as viewers could tell that he had hard of hearing as he repeats what the other person on the phone was saying. But what the older man said seems more absurd!


These exaggerations in television dramas were definitely made for entertainment - if I were an older man, if all of that happened to me and then seeing it as a TV show were it was mocked, I'd be frustrated than anything! Thinking that not all of that happens to every elderly person, but some elderly people may take the joke and laugh along!
So it really goes down to how these viewers sees these programmes!


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"How can we as both critics and producers of television, create a scene that goes against the most typical representations and stereotyping of age?"


After analysing these clips in class, our task is to produce a scene that we consider as atypical - meaning what opposes the typical representations and stereotypes that are presented to us.
Craig, Charlie and I were given a young actor, Elisha and an older actor, Tim to work with as well as a number of props to use.
[Thank you to Elisha and Tim for taking time out for acting and thank you to Mr Codling for your seemingly endless supply of props!]


From the allotted time of 30 minutes given to us to produce a scene, here is what we achieved:



The props we used are:
*foil
*flour to imitate cocaine
*card (my top up red card)
*a mobile phone
*a table
*a chair


We chosen these properties to create a very simple, straight-to-the-point scene since we are scarce on time.
Foil is seem usually with cocaine, usually it wraps the drugs. Used a red card, more noticeable, signifies danger in this case - used to 'line up' the cocaine ready to be abused. It is also a top up credit card for a mobile - another meaning to 'topping up' - another 'hit' with cocaine.
A mobile phone is in the scene - a sense of movement, convenience, emergency when phone is needed.
Table and chair, ordinary everyday furniture can be soiled with drugs.


Elisha in her school uniform: typical teen girl handling drugs, right?
Tim in his casual jumper, shirt and jeans - almost imitating Elisha: typical older gentleman, comes to tell her off, right?


Wrong.


Elisha's the innocent one who found the drugs - thought to have a chat with Tim about them - role reversal. An atypical scene.


We firstly see the foil, the 'cocaine', the mobile phone and the red top up card - the camera then tilts up and slowly reveals a teenage girl in middle shot (MS), with a blank expression - took some cocaine?
This then cuts to a long shot (LS) where it is established that we are in an enclosed room. We see Tim walk from the right of the frame to the middle - central, main focus. 
The scene cuts to MS of Elisha and just part of Tim, only see his arm - lost functions of the rest of his body due to drugs? Missing identity to Elisha, not the man she thought he was? Elisha looks at Tim's action of taking the red card and cuts the 'cocaine'.
This finally cuts to a LS with Elisha's dialogue is: "You don't know me." and Tim's dialogue: "So don't judge me."

My Final OTS: Doppelganger

Here is the final edit of my OTS, Doppelganger. 
I had made some tweaks of extending the last shot by 50% and having to layer the background music due to the extended shot, prolonged the whole OTS altogether!


Do enjoy!

Feedback On Second Edit

This focus group consists of Q+A that is feedback of my second edit [the one where I re-filmed the whole OTS].






Within this video, we have discussed about:
*my use of fades
*the camera model that I have used (I have researched frames per second (fps) and my Panasonic Lumix G10 has 30 fps)
*the timing and layering of the soundtrack used
*target audience
*where I would think is suitable for the distribution
*stereotypes
*the props used
*planning to extend the last shot by slowing it down

Analysis And Decontruction Of Other OTS In Thriller Genre

In this blog post, I'll be analysing the opening title sequences of other films in the thriller genre.
I'll be analysing the film, Casino Royale and here is the opening title sequence:




The opening title sequence starts off with a gun shot, it is sudden and this instantly entices the viewer as it's a sound that is associated with the thriller genre.
With this audio of the gun shot, connects with the visual of a man in a suit, pointing the gun directly at the audience and shoots. As James Bond films are a long running 'series', it is assumed that everyone or at least, most people who watches Casino Royale would know who he is, as this visual is an iconic image of the character, James Bond.
As well as a gun shot from the character played by Daniel Craig, we see this happening through what seems like a gun barrel - indicating the audience that we are literally right in the middle of a shootout, right in the middle of the peak of the action.

After this gunshot, the blood covers the whole screen, 'blacks out' in red and acts as transition which leads the viewer to the next shot of the opening title sequence. The blood seems to cover our eyes, like we've been shot in the head - the blood is associated with violence as well as the red for danger - critical condition of the viewer. As a 'bullet' goes through our heads, this kind of aim requires a lot of skill - therefore this shows the viewers that James Bond is highly skilled and is a professional.

After the sound of the gun shot, the theme song sung by Chris Cornell, 'You Know My Name' comes on suddenly - introducing the OTS with the swirls of the playing card's symbols as well as the production name "Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions LTD presents" and then the actor's name "Daniel Craig", who plays James Bond as his name's the first to appear.
This was written and produced exclusively for this theme song for Casino Royale. The first couple of lines sung by Cornell is:
"If you take a life, do you know what you'll give?
Odds are you won't like what it is"
These lyrics talks about if you take someone's life, do you know what consequences it would come from it - like grief, provoking revenge from others. Then the next line mention 'odds' - this relates to gambling and taking risks.

The playing card suits appear through the OTS, this acts as a signifier and another form of semiotics ("study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation") that Bond's life is always on the cards - gambling whether he's going to live or going to capture the antagonists. The suits (symbols of the playing cards: hearts, spades, clubs and diamonds) 'explode' into a kaleidoscope which surrounds the title of the movie, 'Casino Royale'. Also, the suits also connotes the main story of the film:
*the heart: James Bond's love interest in the film
*the spade: used to getting rid of any antagonists - successfully killing them and 'use the spade to bury them' as he were successful in killing them
*the club: a weapon to kill the antagonist
*the diamond: the wealth he must have received from being a 007 agent or describing how exclusive and hard to 'tarnish' - always at his peak of performance


Firstly, we see a figure partially in shadow - the audience can recognise that this figure belongs to James Bond because he is in his iconic suit and gun combanation. Also, the convention of action/thriller films like the Bond films are to see the main character which establishes that this character has the main focus and control of the film.

This continuity cuts to a shot where we see a very stylised scene of computer generated imagery (CGI) of patterns surrounding and framing Bond, who is sitting on an edge [edge of danger, risking from falling?] sorting out his gun [maybe attaching a silencer on it?].The audience will see a panning shot from left to right being used as the protagonist is nearly central and then slowly placed on the left of the frame: creating a desirable composition using rule of thirds. We see Bond as the footage pans to the right, he is then placed behind a CGI 'stream' of pattern which then disguises him - how he is in the 'real world' [the Bond world].
In the last mili-second of this shot, his hand come from the top right hand corner and 'plucks' a spade - which then flows to the next cut.
Some viewers may see this action as the camera pans from left to right like reading a book - they'll notice it but as the whole OTS is CGI and very stylised - some viewers may have missed it due to these distractions.


The next shot takes us to an extreme close up shot of Bond's hand, where it shows the viewers that he is handling a gun by loading up a 'spade' bullet [if only one single bullet - he has a very precise aim and is skilful?].
This quickly cuts to a medium shot of Bond, slowly revealing more of his character as we clearly see him handling a gun with a silencer attached. A silencer connotes that he is a swift and slick character - he kills without drawing a lot of attention from the sound of the gun shot.


As the song grows to become more upbeat and full of energy from the singer, Chris Cornell's voice - a gun shot takes place and within this shot shows a CGI hand copying and exaggerating Bond's movement's precisely. The CGI hand belongs to the playing card 'King', therefore signifying that Bond is the 'King' - he is the controller who has a large amount of power.


The characters which appear throughout the OTS - their movements are slowed down significantly, thus matches the theme song's pace and it invites the viewer to witness what happens during a high speed fight. For example during the action period crime film, Sherlock Holmes 2009, directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law - when Holmes devises a technique of beating his opponent - we as the audience 'sees' his thought process slowed down as he narrates it. [SEE VIDEO BELOW, GO STRAIGHT TO 1:40 FOR THE DESCRIBED SCENE] Then we see it again in 'real time' where all of the action would be missed if we weren't able to see Holmes' thought process.



The link between the fight scenes in Casino Royale OTS and the fight scene of Holmes that they are both slowed down to 'mark the moment' of these physical encounters for the audience. The audience will be able to feel the tension build as the fights unfold in slow motion by witnessing every detail of the action - putting the viewers in the same room as the fights.

Progress And Video Of Second Edit Of Doppelganger

I hope my video blog made sense!

Here are the screenshots of my progress so far (more to come soon!):

Here is a screenshot of my editing process on Final Cut Pro so far. This is my second edit of ‘Doppelganger’.

This screenshot shows my process so far. At the moment my OTS is only 1 minute 37 seconds, so I’ll see if I could make it longer by inserting a few appropriate transitions between shots.

The purple bars above the clips are the text that I’m adding in as credits.

Here is a screenshot of my first opening credit, which is the name of my OTS, ‘Doppelganger’. This piece of text fades into the frame and then fades out.

This screenshot show my credits which fades in and out of the frame. 

The grey bars in between most of the clips are fading effects, which smoothly

leads the first clip to the second clip.

Here is a screenshot showing the last piece of footage that I have recorded on thr 7th March 2012 (top left) and I have added in the last part of my OTS.

Here show my clips edited together with transitions between the majority of them.

This clips shows the there is a lot of unnecessary background noise and I want to get rid of all of it. This is because it will be distracting and inappropriate therefore seems unprofessional.

What I've done to achieve this was that I have clicked on the little arrow icon that is to the top left of the clip's name.

Then I go onto 'Audio Enhancements'.

Which then brings up this box in Final Cut Pro.

I set the 'loudness' tot he lowest percentage possible and the 'background noise removal' to 100% so to minimise the unnecessary background noise.

Then I went onto the video's audio settings and set the volume to the minimum, so no sound will be heard at all from the clip. This editing technique has been used on all clips throughout my OTS.

Here shows that I have removed all audio from the clips.

I have finally incorporated the background music to my OTS. I have used the same background music twice for two reasons: one, because the background music is only one minute, fourteen seconds and two, I like the sound when it overlaps, it builds more tension in the middle of the OTS where the weapon (knife) and “weapon” (lightsaber chopsticks) are seen, then the music gradually lessens and stops. This indicates to the reader that something significant has happened (The Suited is reading his hit list) and that it’s the end of the OTS and the start of the movie if it were to continue.

As my file is too big for Vimeo, I’ve decided to quickly import the completed edit to iMovie, where it allows me to choose what size/quality the OTS would be, therefore hopefully making the file smaller.

This is the “original” file on Final Cut Pro, which is 678.5MB, 178.5MB too big for Vimeo.

This is the file size after I imported it to iMovie and then re-saved the file to ‘HD’.

Here is the OTS: