Research & Planning of My Schedule

Hey what's up blog, I decided to do a reflection on why I made my schedule the way I did. This will be the last blog for the week, I will not be doing any work tomorrow because I have a rugby game in Tampa. Not sure if you've heard, but this weekend there is a 20% chance of snow in Tampa. Snow in central Florida; that is just unheard of, but anyways I hope you enjoy my reflection. Thank you.

I decided to create my schedule in a calendar format because this is how I prefer to see my work and it is what I'm most comfortable with. I feel this way because being able to see all of my work laid out in front of me will and does help me stay organized and use my time more effectively. Normally I wouldn't refer to a calendar, I'd just pull up Canvas and go to the blog, but I know the project being as rigorous as it is I must say structured. This format is also better for me because it doesn't make me feel confused or overwhelmed.

One of the things that I also like to make sure of in my schedule is that my Sundays are free and that I don't have any work to do. This is important to me because it helps me avoid becoming burnt out. I don't want to have to feel annoyed to be working on the project, I want to have fun with it. By not rushing through my work, I can comeback Monday feeling ready to put some time into my work and not feel burdened. Furthermore, utilizing this schedule is important to me because my project is going to take several weeks to complete.

In addition, I did not want to put all my work into one day, as it would have been stressful and not realistic. For that reason, there are days where I'll start a blog but not finish it, leaving the finishing for the next day. Having my work spread out through the week allows me to stay productive while also helping me make sure I have time to chill. Overall, my schedule is going to help me find equilibrium between my school work and my free time, making it easier for me to stay focused and produce quality work.

Researching, Analyzing, and Discussing three Mystery/Thriller Credit Sequences

 What's up blog, today we are talking about three credit sequences from movies of my genre of Mystery/Thriller. During class today we made some advancements in our plan for the project. Not going to lie, this past week has been a little difficult trying to stay on top of my blogs plus managing my other classes, but I've been able to get them done. Well, I hope you guys enjoy today's blog of credit sequences. Thank you.

In order to present a quality film, there are many subjects that go into it, but this subject is neglected a ton, the "filmmakers", in other words the directors, producers, writers, and cinematographers. The reason the filmmakers are overlooked is because they are never on the screen, when you sit and watch a movie or a show, many often skip the rolling credits, because they may appear boring and to be honest some are, but not all films have boring rolling credits. Today we are going to talk about how and what filmmakers do during the credit sequences.

Credit Sequence #1: Se7en (1995)

To begin my credit sequences I started with Se7en, Se7en is a outstanding movie being ranked in the Top 20 of IMDb Top 250 Movies of all time. Se7en is a mystery/thriller directed by David Fincher and produced by Arnold Kopelson.

To begin, Se7en's credit sequence is amazing. The technique they used was very smart. For the majority of their credits they, would do somewhat of a shot/countershot, they'd show a shot of the setting or of the character doing something and the next shot would be a black screen of credits. While this may seem somewhat boring, they added some minute details to keep it in line with the theme of the film. Many credits were shown in different fonts, or like zoomed in fast and then zoomed out fast. The credits were also moving a lot of the time, this makes it so it is not as boring to watch and a little more intriguing than your traditional black screen with credits not moving and the same font the whole time. 

However like I stated earlier, not all the shots included credits in the shot/countershot format. For example, the first shot was one of them, someone flipping a paper along with credits in the small right corner. This is a controversial way to show your credits because while it may seem better than a regular black screen and not as boring, some viewers would rather watch the shot then actually look at the credits. I like the way Se7en's credits were shown because it fits the theme of the film while also being able to keep the viewer watching.

 

Credit Sequence #2: Zodiac (2007)

My next credit sequence analysis is the movie Zodiac directed by none other than David Fincher. Zodiac is Thriller/Crime movie with bits of the mystery genre in it. I've never watched the movie but based off of the credit sequence and film opening it looks like it could be interesting and potentially a good watch.

The movie Zodiac began with an establishing shot from the water of San Francisco, California in the late 1960's, along with the shot were the first credits. I've noticed in both films' credit sequences that the first credits are the company or companies that released the movie. The shots in the credit sequence of Zodiac had minimal editing, meaning a lot of the shots durated longer than average. I like this because it gives you time to be able to read the credits while also being able to see whats going on in the film opening

I noticed that credits were displayed where there was some sort of movement happening or where a main point was. Meaning some credits were shown on the character, this could be because they want the people to notice the credits by placing them close or at times on top of the crux or even a character. The credits in this film were displayed differently than in Se7en, they were all on regular shots; none of them were on a black screen, they could all be seen during the movie, and were very simplistic, almost as if they weren't there. I like this technique because it keeps the movie flowing and not boring. I really like this technique and would like to incorporate this into my film opening.

 

Credit Sequence #3: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

My third and final credit sequence is The Silence of the Lambs, which was directed by Jonathan Demme. The Silence of the Lambs is a mystery/thriller film, but it also has psychological aspects to it. Even though the film's a little old, its credit sequence was and still is very effective to this day, because it matches the film's tone perfectly. It is a great movie, being listed on IMDb's Top 250 movies, just two spots below Se7en at #22, 

The movie The Silence of the Lambs begins with mostly long shots of Clarice Starling running through the woods during her FBI training. The credits are put on top of these shots instead of cutting back to a traditional black screen. The pace of the editing is slow and steady, allowing the viewer to easily read the credits on screen while also paying attention to what is happening on screen. 

The lighting creates a cold and isolated atmosphere. This helps build tension during the beginning of the film. The credits are simplistic and don't distract the viewer, using a simple font that does not interfere with the background. It was interesting to see how the credits were displayed during moments of movements or action, like when Clarice was running or climbing. It helps to keep the credits interesting and enticing without disrupting the movie's flow.

  

Citations:

IMDb Image References

Note: IMDb media view links don’t list a publication date or author, so they’re treated as online images with a description. If your teacher wants a different format (e.g., film posters), I can adjust.

IMDb. (n.d.). Se7en opening credits still [Image]. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114369/mediaviewer/rm3116368640/?ref_=tt_ov_i

IMDb. (n.d.). Zodiac opening credits still [Image]. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443706/mediaviewer/rm3361097728/?ref_=tt_ov_i

IMDb. (n.d.). The Silence of the Lambs opening credits still [Image]. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102926/mediaviewer/rm3242988544/?ref_=tt_ov_i

Web & Video Sources
IMDb. (n.d.). IMDb top 250 movies list. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/chart/top/?ref_=hm_nv_menu

NASA_OpenChannel. (2014, June 5). Se7en opening credits (original sequence) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwS0XRJRKlE

FilmFanHQ. (2018, April 12). Zodiac (2007) opening credits [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BJkDyCdw0c

ClassicTrailers. (2016, November 2). The Silence of the Lambs (1991) opening credits [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuMu4Hmk_s8

Schedule for Portfolio Project

Researching, Analyzing, and Discussing three Mystery/Thriller Film Openings

 

 Hello Blog, today we are going to be talking about three film openings from me and my group's chosen genre: Mystery/Thriller, I did some research and looked around for good movies under this genre, I found a renowned film director by the name David Fincher, he is responsible for making two movies we will be going over in today's blog. Hope you enjoy my analyses.  

 

Film Opening #1:  Gone Girl (2014)

Gone Girl's film opening durated just about 2 minutes. It begins with calming music and a close up shot of a woman laying her head on top of her husband's stomach. We can infer this is her husband because of the monologue used. He begins by talking about thinking of his wife and how he pictures "cracking her lovely skull", straight off the bat I am already unsettled, I'm thinking in my head "Whats gonna happen next?", "is she gonna die..." he continues by saying he wants unspool her brains. By this point we are still seeing the same shot of the woman, but she then decides to look up at her "husband". The monologue continues as he questions how and what you feel, and what you have done with each other. He talks with a second person point-of-view this further constitutes that unsettling vibe we got earlier. The following shots establish setting, we see the establishing shot with the title of the movie, the credits roll during these shots. These shots show the city/town they are living in, shots of buildings are shown, shots of houses. Then a medium shot of a man standing in front of a house, then you can infer its his house as he enters the house. The music stays playing all through out, after he enters the house, a shots cuts to him in a car, he then parks the car and enters a bar, the music stops and it marks the end to the film opening.

 

 

 Film Opening #2: Shutter Island (2010)

 The opening scene for Shutter Island begins with a black screen of credits and then the title of the movie. Ominous music plays in the background. The music cuts and we now hear the moving of water and we see a wide shot of a boat on ocean waters covered by a lot of fog, the setting is the Boston Harbor Islands in 1954. We then see a man on the boat by the name of Teddy, vomiting into the toilet from sea sickness, from a over the shoulder shot we see him talking into the mirror telling him to pull himself to pull it together. This scene right here is a bit edgy because he's talking to himself in a mirror, the movie being a psychological thriller symbolizes a character's inner self versus the psychological battle he faces. After an exchange of close and medium shots, he makes his way to the deck of the boat where his partner was. The colors outside have cool hues to them, these cool hues symbolize cold and unsettling emotions, which is what reflects the mind of the protagonist Teddy.

 

 

Film Opening #3: Knives Out (2019) 

 The opening scene for Knives Out begins with a black screen of credits and then the title of the movie. The first shot is a establishing shot of a mansion from a lower angle. There are two dogs playing outside the house. The atmosphere is very cold, the fog around the house, the cool hues, this establishing shot has a very cold vibe to it. The music that is played throughout the shot is non-diegetic, sounds playful which is ironic because the vibe the house gives off isn't. The following shot is a close-up shot of a coffee mug and food, the shot is focused on the mug everything else is blurred. The shots following this shot, all reflect mise-en-scene elements, almost all the shots are pieces of artwork or the set design, the artwork that is used is kind of unsettling, the faces made are kind of creepy, this further reinforces that mysterious vibe and suspenseful feeling of what's yet to come. The next shots are of a lady bringing up breakfast, to what seems to who could be the owner of the house. She enters a room and she greets him but hes not inside, a panoramic shot shifts to his bed and we don't see him. This seemed routine given the fact she greeted him even before entering the door. Because he's not in the room you can already presume something bad might happen. The next shots show her approaching another she thought he'd be in. The next shot is inside the room facing the door zooming out, she opens the door, and a zoom in into her face shows she's uneasy, the next shot is wide shot that zooms in to the killing of the man she was bringing the food too. This is the end of the film opening.

 Citations:

Butler, D. L., Mattingley, J. B., Cunnington, R., & Suddendorf, T. (2012). Mirror, mirror on the wall, how does my brain recognize my image at all? PLoS ONE, 7(2), e31452. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4219253/ (PLOS)

Cherry, K. (2024, February 20). The color blue: Meaning and color psychology. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-color-psychology-of-blue-2795815 (Verywell Mind)

IMDb. (n.d.-a). Shutter Island (tt1130884). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/

IMDb. (n.d.-b). Knives Out (tt8946378). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8946378/

[Uploader]. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khzdkne_fPc&t=72s

[Uploader]. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYZkEmKUAzo

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Portfolio Project Genre #2

GENRE:

I’ve thought a lot about the second genre I want to explore. My project partners both decided to research about Dramas, some Dramas can be touching but I'm not the type of person to sit and watch a movie about someone or something be sad. Like I stated in my past blogs Action and Mystery films have their appeal, however Comedy movies have my heart. I always enjoy a laugh, rewatching some of my favorite comedy films. Comedy films have a unique way of pulling you and keeping you hooked on like a fish. Comedy is such versatile genre as well because it offers so many styles from romantic comedies to parodies. 

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Target audiences vary within the comedy genre. For example, when you are watching a children's comedy the ages can be between five years of age to early teens, but when you look at a Rom-com the target audience may change slightly. Typically females between the teenager age to the early 30's are more of the center audience for romantic comedies. Target audiences depend on the type of comedy, but from a broader perspective the comedy genre ranges from ages 15-35.

CONVENTIONS WITH CONTENT:

Production companies and movie producers all have different goals in mind when making their comedy films. However all comedy sub-genres share one goal, make the viewer laugh or smile, even if it is in their head they want to humor the audience. Another intent is to highlight the funny, crazy, preposterous aspects of what we call life. The intention shows different perspectives as well, enlightening their audience while they watch. This may be controversial, but what makes a comedy film good is the personality of the characters and how it changes throughout the film. This isn't observed as much as it should and I don't know why, many people don't quite seem to realize the importance of a climax and it affects the moral of a film.

CONVENTIONS WITH TECHNIQUES:

Comedy films use specific film techniques to focus on the theme of the film. Timing is very important in comedy films. Timing is so crucial because you never know when a joke is coming and its best that you don't. The best comedy films try to get straight to the point and avoid and filler time because it's all about how engaged a viewer is. One camera technique that is seen a lot in comedy films is close-up shots, close-up shots are used often to show reaction to a joke though facial expressions, zoom is another technique that is utilized because it can tense a situation making it funnier. Sound effects and music selection is another impactful part of a film. Sound in comedy films is very important as well the dialogue between two characters can be what makes an audience laugh.

INSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS:

Comedy movies rely on great acting. When you are scrolling through social media and you see a trailer with an actor like Will Ferrel or Steve Carrel, you're going to wait and watch a little bit before you scroll to the next video. This is because of their narrative image, these two actors are known for being funny, dumb, dorky which is just about all that you look for in a comedy film. When promoting comedy you'll see funny looking movie posters, or stupid funny ads to help give it the humorous approach the marketers want.

 

 

Here are two very popular comedy films that I've watched and recommend.

YouTube. (2008, March 14). Step Brothers (2008) Official Trailer [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CewglxElBK0 (YouTube)

Classic Trailers. (2014, February 18). Dumb & Dumber (1994) Official Trailer [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l13yPhimE3o (youtube.com)

 

CITATIONS:

Fiveable Content Team. (2025, September). Visual approaches to comedy and action [Study guide]. Fiveable. https://fiveable.me/cinematography/unit-12/visual-approaches-comedy-action/study-guide/Coi7x1GCgWeqQe4O?utm (Fiveable)

Finchley Creative Productions Ltd. (2024, November 6). The art of timing in comedy video production. https://www.finchley.co.uk/finchley-learning/the-art-of-timing-in-comedy-video-production?utm (Finchley Studios)

IMDB. (n.d.). Top comedy movies list. https://www.imdb.com/list/ls007041954/

IMDB. (n.d.). Media viewer for Forrest Gump (still image) [Photograph]. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109686/mediaviewer/rm1722947584/?ref_=tt_ov_i

IMDB. (n.d.). Media viewer for The Office (still image) [Photograph]. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0838283/mediaviewer/rm3433645824/?ref_=tt_ov_i

Misned Al Misned. (2020, April 11). Audiences for different genres. https://mesnedalmisned.com/2020/04/11/audiences-for-different-genres/ (mesnedalmisned.com)

Robin Catling. (2023, April 10). Conventions of the comedy genre. https://robincatling.com/conventions-of-the-comedy-genre (robincatling.com)

Portfolio Project Genre #1

GENRE:

I've thought a lot about what genre I wanted to, a lot of my favorite movies are Action movies and Comedy movies, however as of this last year I've began to dibble and dabble in Mystery movies. Mystery movies can create that suspenseful and not-knowing vibe that keeps you enticed to keep watching. It can also make you want to solve the problem while you watch it. Mystery movies in my opinion are very versatile — meaning there are so many different ways you can go about it, whether you want a Noir type of film or even a Thriller.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

 Mystery movies' target audience is usually a more mature audience; often ages 15-50 and I say 50 because older audiences tend to not be as active and engaged in attempting to solve a mystery themselves. Many sources also state that problem-solvers and people with logical thinking skills tend to like mystery movies because it challenges their intellectual limits.

CONVENTIONS WITH CONTENT:

Mystery movies can obviously have many different plots, however they can often be centralized as crime/whodunit films they can also be suspense films that don't necessarily have a crime its more about uncovering the truth of something. Just because these are the main types of mystery conventions doesn't mean that there aren't other types of mystery movies like locked-room mysteries or even historical mysteries. Heretic a movie that came out in late 2024 is an example of a locked-room mystery that uses psychological approaches to leave the audience reflecting.

 

A24. (2024, September 19). Heretic | Official Trailer HD | A24 [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9i2vmFhSSY 

 

CONVENTIONS WITH TECHNIQUES: 

Different genres of movies use different thematic elements. For example, a Romantic Comedy film is going to include a failed relationship, or in a Superhero film an event occurs that alters the superhero's life, like a family member dying or something along those lines. Mystery movies like to include shocking turning points, viewers like these films because they like to be surprised. One method that is used in many movies is a time limit, because it's known to keep viewers scared and on their toes. Another tactic, that is used is the fear of not knowing. When you watch a slasher film you know when the killer is behind the character but you're in a first or third-person view of the character, suspense builds because you don't know what's going to happen next. 

INSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS:

The narrative image and marketing of mystery films is just how you would probably imagine. Mystery films love to market low-key lighting because it builds off the "Mystery" theme. Another technique you see a lot when mystery films are marketed is throughout trailers or posters, they like to use minimal words because they want to keep the viewer curious and unsettled. 

A movie that I'd recommend is Knives Out (2019). It is almost like a remake of the movie Clue from (1985). 

IMDb. (n.d.). Title: tt8946378. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8946378/?ref_=fn_t_1

Citations:

A24. (2024, September 19). Heretic | Official Trailer HD | A24 [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9i2vmFhSSY 

  

George Davison Studios. (n.d.). The keys to a mystery-thriller film. https://georgedavisonstudios.com/blog/the-keys-to-a-mystery-thriller-film/

Haros, D. (2023, October 14). Creating the right techniques for a good mystery. Medium. https://medium.com/@desireeharos/creating-the-right-techniques-for-a-good-mystery-87f776791d8c

Inkitt. (n.d.). What is the mystery-suspense genre? https://inkitt.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/28175118060946--What-Is-the-Mystery-Suspense-Genre

Robinson, J. (2025, September 23). Demystifying the mystery genre in film and TV. Mandy Magazine. https://www.mandy.com/magazine/article/mystery-genre-in-film-and-tv-79307/

Webnovel. (n.d.). Question about mystery genre. https://www.webnovel.com/ask/q334012597335069

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Transitioning into the Cambridge Portfolio Project

🐊  So last week in class we learned about film openings for our upcoming Final Project(the portfolio project). From now to March 17th, I will be documenting my journey of completing my portfolio project.  To be honest, part of me is not too happy that we are starting this project because this project is gonna require a lot of time and effort for it to come out successful, but I am ready for the challenge and I will find a way to balance all my other work out to make sure this gets done. While I watched and jotted down notes about the different types of film openings, I learned that there are many different types of film openings. For example, a common film opening that is used is preparing to go somewhere, or getting out bed. This approach is called character development and its basically just as it sounds, you develop and introduce your character during the opening scene of a film. The movie Stranger Than Fiction (2006), is an example of how this film opening was used. 

Art of the Title. (n.d.). Stranger than Fiction (2006). https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/stranger-than-fiction/

  Here are some of the notes I took while I was doing the Nearpod about film openings.

     

I have some sort of an idea of what I want to do, I initially wanted to do a comedy opening scene, but I heard it was going to be very hard to execute well, so I'm now thinking about shifting into another genre that I'm not knowing of yet. I want to have fun making the project, I don't want to have to cram all of it in a couple of days like I've done in the past. The main thing I want to be on top of is my time management and my organization, because I don't want to forget that I have a Blog that's due on a specific day.

This is the end of today's blog, I hope you enjoyed. Thank you.