Our film ‘Little Blue’ is based on a fantasy and drama genre. However to achieve the end product of our opening sequence we used, developed and in some cases challenged the forms and conventions of the media we referred to. Our original aim was a fantasy genre, however with the modern setting of our story, and the theme on the relationships between characters we felt it added a drama element to the genre. In the opening sequence itself we used many conventions we’d gather from our research to represent our main themes and genre. The themes of innocence, family and love are portrayed through the props in the room. From our observations of other films we proceeded in using the aim of,
• Introducing the world of the main character.
• Suggestion of the narrative.
• Suggesting plot points yet to come in the story.
• Introducing main characters.
• Including titles.
• Incorporating music to create the appropriate atmosphere.
With these aims we have created an opening using the main conventions of a fantasy genre opening.
Such as our camera shots through out the sequence, the view of Little Blues room is an instant introduction to the world our character. The slow pans were an effective technique we found in both Edward Scissor hands and Labyrinth opening. It gave a slow and eased introduction to the film while allowing the audience to focus on the settings and props in the frame. As a group we knew immediately this was the effect we wanted to recreate, we felt the soft atmosphere was just what we needed for our opening sequence. After watching our film you’ll recognize the conventions we used from Edward scissorhands, for example the opening pan from the ceiling to the opening door, the tracking trough the door, the dissolves and close up shots were all techniques we used in our film. Because of the look and effect that Edward Scissor hands opening had on us as the audience it had a large influence on us when storyboarding. Also after watching the film labyrinth the part in the first scene with the panning close ups of the music carousel, fairy tale books and toys was a concept we would later use in the finished film.
Our development of these conventions was to use them to hint at the other themes to our story such as unconditional love, jealousy, and neglect and family relationships. With this in mind we develop the use of props in labyrinth to suggest both themes and forebode later plot points, for instance the book of Cinderella lying open on the desk, this image not only presents the audience to a link from which our story is based on but the image of the little girl all alone, and then with the fairy god mother hints at event later in the story, an example of the film fairy tale style. In addition the photo frame with the image of the family is a key example of our attempt to show the audience the main themes, we see the mother and father, standing with Little Blue and her Stepsister apart from the group, we found this an easy and straightforward clue to the Stepsisters feeling of jealousy and neglect, without having to use any dialogue. Showing this clear hint at the characters relationship was important for our audience of children, to understand the main themes straight away. This use of mise en scene was a key convention to portraying our themes, genre and world of character to the audience.
Similarly we felt suggesting the magical theme was portrayed well throughout the opening, The opening of the door, such as in Edward scissor hands and numerous other films we’ve studied is seen a typical convention of a fantasy film, with it suggesting a inviting and story telling narrative, then allowing us to instantly relate it to the genre. The close up of various books, toys and clothes creating the image of a stereotypical girls room while the fairy tale images and titles continues the magical feel as it does in Labyrinth. A previously unplanned shot also carried on the magical atmosphere to the end, where the fairy lights blur together and fade into the main title, it was a beautiful and enchanting effect and enhances the magical atmosphere.
The music we used throughout the sequence was also a developed convention from Edward Scissor hands. The piece ‘sad christmas’ was perfectly suited for our opening, the sound gives a soft, floating and tender feel to the scene, the chimes and chorus Is a backing sound common in fantasy films. However the music changes as the bed and photo frame come into view, changing the atmosphere and the darker sounds indicating of the sadness and jealously to come in the story. In this sense we challenge the normal convention of the genre, as from the films I studied there weren’t any that include such a change in music, affecting the scene atmospherically.
Our Characters were all developed form our original story ideas, and the classic fairy tales we used to create them. Our character Little Blue is strongly based on the characters of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.
Cinderella, a classic character, well known for her loving nature is helped by her fairy godmother to make her wishes come true, a story idea we used a main plotline in our story, to us it is an example of a true fairy tale and with a moral children can easily understand. We use the theme of Cinderella’s relationship with her sisters as a focus of the story, the evil stepsister beginning the antagonist who treats her sister similarly to how the stepsisters in Cinderella would. The way in which we challenged this was how the Stepsister is the neglected character rather than Little Blue and towards the end of the story we see her redemption after realizing the error of her ways.
We used and develop Little Blue’s character also from Little Red Riding Hood, apparent in her name Little Blue has similar traits to Little Red Riding Hood, the character beginning a young girl, and the association to colour is a strong image for children to understand and relate to, just as Little Red Riding Hood is easy to remember, so is Little Blue. We represent this also through the blue coat which she wears, similar to the red cape and hood Little Red Riding Hood would wear.
This is mostly to portray her character as consistent and memorable but also links to the sadness she feels at points though the story, notice how in the picture with her family her costume consists of light blue’s and whites, however her coat is of a much darker shade, suggesting she is sadder now than compared to when the picture was taken.
I remembered this concept from the film A Cinderella Story were the main characters costume begins in duller, darker shades, however through the film and as she discovered herself and she gets her happily ever after her costume switches to lighter colours. This was a convention I knew I wanted to use in my sequence to show indications of Little Blue’s character and reflect her emotions in all aspects, showing her progression through her journey.
(notice the difference between the beginning costume, and the last).
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