Evaluation of AOTT activity

Synopsis:

Our film's genre is crime thriller titled 'MINE'. The synopsis is that a detective is in search of his girlfriend who gets kidnapped, the film follows his journey in parallel to hers. He eventually finds her and they get married.

In our film opening it introduces the victim- the stereotypical damsel in distress. It also introduces the villain who is in fact hidden by a mask which is a key feature in the film. The opening portrays the kidnap and ends just before the audience find out who the villain is which builds suspense and hooks the audience.

We have included only a few titles to promote the actors and director shown in the opening. This is used as the institutional branding and may induce celebrity endorsement or  generate excitement and interest int he audience if they are familiar with their work. The end shot is a cut away to the title 'MINE' which gives the audience an idea of context as the victim belongs to the villain. The title is short and simple so it sticks int he audience's mind and is placed on top of the mask which the villain wears to conceal his identity. This reinforces the crime thriller genre as it is quite creepy and dramatic.

Our opening is quite ambiguous and will leave the audience wondering who the villain is and what happens with the victims. They should be shocked and anticipate the rest of the film as they will be awaiting answers as to why she got kidnapped. The opening has a clear narrative flow and the variety of shots such as close-ups of the victims face depict the fear and engage the audience more. The audience should be left feeling slightly scared and in despair as they are helpless.

Our opening introduced two of our main characters very effectively to introduce our  antagonist and victim. The disruption is also introduced immediately via our narrative which i think is shown very clearly. The titles are also very important to anchor our opening and provide institutional context and these have also been placed to aid the action rather than detract focus. We also incorporated key iconography to connote the genre such as the duct tape on the victim's mouth and being kept in the trunk of a car. The close-ups of the victim looking nervously around and the villain wearing a mask to hide their face also symbolize danger which comes with a crime thriller genre.

I think my project is very effective as a film opening as it has a clear narrative and genre. I think it hooks the audience in well and will make them desire to find out more. I like our range of shots used but i think we could have included more institutional context and played on he audience's needs slightly more. Our opening also includes a master shot so the audience understands where the scenes are taking place and it connotes the genre well.