Text analysis - Alien - Josh Platt

Order and duration of titles

0:04-0:07 - "a Brandywine - Ronald Shusett production" - Production Company
0:09-0:12 - "a Ridley Scott film" - Director
0:18-0:21 - "Tom Skerritt" - Actor
0:23-0:26 - "Sigourney Weaver" - Actress
0:28-0:32 - "Veronica Cartwright" - Actress
0:34-0:37 - "Harry Dean Stanton" - Actor
0:39-0:43 - "John Hurt" - Actor
0:45-0:48 - "Ian Holm" - Actor
0:50-0:54 - "and Yaphet Kotto as Parker" - Actor
0:56-1:00 - "music by Jerry Goldsmith/conducted by Lionel Newman/original music copyright 1979 Fox Fanfare Music Inc" - Composer of music and the music company
1:03-1:07 - "executive producer Ronald Shusett" - Executive producer
1:10-1:14 - "screenplay by Dan O'Bannon/story by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett" - Screenplay and Writers
1:18-1:22 - "produced by Gordon Carroll/David Giler/and/Walter Hill" - Producers
1:25-1:29 - "directed by Ridley Scott" - Director

 

Typography

The titles are slightly unusual in the way that only the names of people feature capital letters, and the starts of the titles have no capital letters. The colour of text is white which allows the text to stand out against the dark background, which is reinforcing the title 'Alien' as a planet is shown.

The titles appear in the centre of the frame, which implies a sense of isolation and loneliness.

The white font against the dark background adds to the idea of the supernatural, and enforces the science-fiction genre that is established within the film.

Every title fades in, is then shown for 3-4seconds, then fades out. The simple transition and the plain font add verisimilitude to the sequence as the audience are not bombarded with over-the-top effects or colour.

The actual film title differs from the opening credits in terms of size, as it stretches from one side of the screen to the other, but, similarly to the credits, enforces the theme set within the background, which is isolation, but, due to the size, does so in a way that makes the 'Alien' appear to dominate the frame and therefore the film.

Text Relationship

It's clear from the sequence that the font should enforce the film's genre, as well as enforce the ideas that are presented in the background behind it. So if the background is quite plain, the font is also quite simple looking, and, in the case of  'Alien', the theme of loneliness and isolation is implied by both the background and the font.. Also, the titles should be clear, but not totally overpower the background; i.e. in the 'Alien' sequence the titles are in the middle of the frame, but the writing is not overly large and looks quite plain.

How Does This Help The Group?

Whilst the genre of our opening scene is not one that coincides with the them of sci-fi, it has become apparent throughout the analysis that the typography should support and enforce any ideas set within the background, which will certainly be something we think about when adding the titles and composing each frame.

 

GROUP - Filming Reveiw-15th January 2015

One of the problems with our production was how we are going to safely and effectively do the hanging scene, we were thinking about doing the scene by filming the character standing on a chair and hang to the tree, and then filming the same position again without the person or the chair there and then cutting them together, however this may prove problematic as getting things like the feet right without creases in the shoes and in unnatural positions could prove a challenge. We have decided to do it like this as well as filming different elements such as dangling feet and arms not having the whole body in the shot at once, and deciding what looks better once they are done.

 



Another big problem for us which arose after the initial shooting was the difficulty of filming in the dark, this proved a problem as the cameras were not good enough resolution to pick up certain key bits in the shots such as the rope and facial features, reducing the effectiveness of mise-en-scene and camera work, as there is a lot of black on screen so positioning and movement was almost redundant. We have decided to now film it during the day, and make it look dark using after effects.

Footage from our first shoot

Technical Analysis - Amityville Horror - JP

Duration of shot	Camera angle, movement and distance	Mise-en-scene	Sound
11seconds	Black screen	Dark - Text on screen – ‘based on true story’ – then date, showing flashback – black on white	Extra-diegetic sound – weather (rain) – pathetic fallacy + realism
4seconds	ECU – out of focus – shaky (handicam)	Dark - Eyes are closed – asleep – not aware of anything - male	Wind (soundbridge) – whisper-like sounds - mysterious
2seconds	Flashes to old document/ TV screen – close-up	Light - Tribal symbol – yellow colour – looks old	Lightning strike – weather is integral – pathetic fallacy
4seconds	ECU – out of focus - handicam	Dark - Eyes still closed – asleep	Deep male voiceover – in his head – ‘catch them’
2seconds	ECU – not shaky	Light - Eyes suddenly wide open – TV reflected in eyes – same image seen earlier	Deep male voiceover – ‘Kill them’
3seconds	Shot-reverse-shot	Dark - Guy looks at clock – focuses on clock – back to guy	Enhanced clock sound (boom) – whispers and rain
3seconds	Close-up	Dark - Table - book called ‘Evil Is Proof of God’ – cigarettes – clock +flashes of light due to lightning	Deep whispering - lightning
4seconds	Mid-shot	Dark - Man looking at TV, holding gun, loading it +light flashes	Deep whispering
2seconds	ECU	Dark - Loading gun ammo	Lightning sound
2seconds	Close-up	Dark - Photos on wall – look innocent – graduation photo – looks like guy with gun – lightning flashes	Lightning sound
2seconds	Close-up	Man’s feet as he walks up stairs – like he’s going to kill someone	Deep whispering
1second	Close-up	Eyes widen – looking at something – light shining implies its window	Lightning + deep whispering
1second	ECU	Man’s eyes	Lightning anchors flashes
2seconds	Long-shot – high angle (from window)	Look through window – shed doors are shutting and opening – someone/something there	Lightning + deep whispering
3seconds	Mid-shot	Walks up stairs more – gun in hand – flash of light	Lightning anchors flash
4seconds	Mid-long shot	Black to flash twice– guy holds gun up – very dark	Lightning anchors flash
4seconds	Mid-shot	Man and woman sleeping –unaware of anything – black to flash again	Lightning anchors flash
1second	ECU	Finger on trigger –>darkness	Lightning anchors flash
1second	Mid-close up	Points gun upwards -> darkness	Lightning anchors flash
1second	Mid-shot	Man aims gun -> darkness	Lightning anchors flash
1second	Close-up	About to shoot – gets gun ready to shoot	Lightning anchors flash
1second	Close-up	Woman’s head – blood splatter onto pillow	Gunshot – no lightning emphasises gunshot sound
1second	Close-up	Flashes to crime scene – same room – same person – clearly later on	Lightning anchors flash
2seconds	Mid-shot, slightly low angle	Little girl wakes up in another room – looks innocent and unaware	Lightning
2seconds	Mid-shot	Guy walks away out of room – back turned with gun in hand	Lightning
2seconds	Mid-shot	Little girl cowers in corner with teddy – very innocent	Lightning
2seconds	Mid-shot	Girl looks confused	Girl – ‘whats wrong Ronnie?’
4seconds	Close-up	Ronnie is crying – aims gun	‘I love you Jodie’
9seconds	ELS – low angle	House – flash of light- house sign	Gunshot – lightning +rain
3seconds	Black title screen	Amityville Horror text - title	Phone rings – everybody’s dead