Unit 10: Learning Aim A - Mise-en-scene (Film Micro Features) + Semiotics

Film Sequence Designer(s)

Could it be a picture in my mind?Never sure exactly what Ill find Only in my dreams I turn you onHere for just a moment then youre goneIts just an illusion, illusion, illusion (Imagination)

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Biography about the couple.Olivier Kuntzel and Florence Deygas (best known as Kuntzel and Deygas for short) is a French contemporary visual artists that work as graphic realization of video and advertising together as a couple. However, their most successful is the credits of the film Catch Me If You Can, published in 2002, by Steven Spielberg.Lets firstly talk about the first artist, Oliver Kuntzel, he was known for his passion for typography and graphic designing. His father was a poster artist in the years of 1950s till 1960s. Meanwhile, his brother is an internationally video artist. Coming from artistic family background, he worked in a video post-production workshop which where he met his partner, Florence Deygas. The second artist, Florence Deygas, has grown passion for theater and cinema, as she was in between of these two directions; she was also interested in staging, narration and movement, as well as the designs of cartoons. The couple together has been featuring or producing various films while working under a French post-production company called Mikro-Image/Mikro-Animation (further information is in the next slide). The few examples of films that is produced/featured by Kuntzel and Deygas later will be introduced in this presentation.

A little bit about the company mikros-image & MIKros-animationMikros-image is a French origins of Technicolor post-production company that was found in 1985, which was specialized in the creation of digital visual effects. Based in France, Belgium and Canada, its activities include digital postproduction and digital visual effects for feature films and commercials. The company operates in the fields of visual effects, CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery), animation and digital cinema. The services include postproduction, movies/feature films, studio which to see more supervision, animation, online services, lab, research and development. Mikros Images artists is renowned as a global creative force, providing animation services for feature films.Mikros Animation has developed several 3D feature length films in France and Canada. However, it is also the official animation studio for the Mikros Image Group; specializing in the creation of digital visual effects. The other fact is the company provided animation for the Paramount Pictures release.Headed by Gilles Gaillard as Managing Director, Mikros image & animation covers all areas of post-production: advertising, cinema, TV, video clips, video games and institutional communication.

Film analysis: Catch me if you can, (2002), Steven SpielbergCatch Me If You Can is a American biographical crime film which was based on the life of a Pan American World Airways pilot called Frank Abagnale, who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars, he is also a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor. His primary crime was check fraud; he became so experienced that the FBI eventually turned to him for help in catching other check forgers. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, and Nathalie Baye in supporting roles.The story starts when 1963, teen-aged Frank Abagnale lives in New York with his father Frank Abagnale, Sr. and French mother Paula. When Frank Sr. is denied a business loan at Chase Manhattan Bank due to unknown difficulties with the IRS, the family is forced to move from their large home to a small apartment. Paula carries on an affair with Jack, a friend of her husband. Meanwhile, Frank poses as a substitute teacher in his French class. Frank's parents file for divorce, and Frank runs away. When he runs out of money, he begins relying on confidence scams to get by. Soon, Frank's cons increase and he even impersonates an airline pilot. He forges Pan Am payroll checks and succeeds in stealing a huge amount of money.

catch me if you can, 2002, Steven Spielberg (the opening title sequence Analysis)The opening title sequence starts with an animated theme where the characters and the settings go in different shapes while the credits appear on the screen. The representation of the characters gives us a clue about what each characters personalities is going to be like or their characteristics in the film. The dramatic colour changes from bright blue and black to black and bright yellow designs gives a mixed feelings because the storyline is not clear enough even though the characters in the animated opening do start show movements. As the credits are shown, it also points out who the characters will be (for example, when the credit Leonardo DiCaprio appears which points at a character). The opening title seems to give the audience of manipulation as the camera moves suddenly. The music background gives us a clue about the main protagonist in the film will be sneaky and quiet; shows that they will get involved with stealing things while being quiet without anyone knowing.

Film analysis: Le Petit Nicolas (Little Nicholas) , (2009), Laurent TirardLe Petit Nicolas (Little Nicholas) is a French-Belgian family comedy film directed by Laurent Tirard who co-wrote with Grgoire Vigneron and Alain Chabat. It is based on a series of children's books by Ren Goscinny. The film features an ensemble cast led by Maxime Godart in the title role of Nicolas. The story starts when in Paris in the 60s, a young boy named Nicolas gets into all sorts of mischief with his friends. Some unintentional, some intended. Matters get worse when Nicolas, a single child, thinks his mother is pregnant and a baby brother is forthcoming. And another friend of his has a baby brother and thinks it horrible but, thanks to his friends ideas, he believes this means his parents don't love him anymore and will abandon him. He and his friends embark on several schemes but before any drastic consequences happen, Nicolas learns how nice it is to be a big brother. Then he discovers his mother isn't pregnant, and is upset about that. His parents eventually have a baby, which Nicolas looks forward to, except he gets a sister instead, and tells his parents he should have asked for a puppy.

Le Petit Nicolas, (2009), Laurent Tirard(the opening title sequence analysis)The opening title sequence starts with a book of blank pages as it has secret pop ups and the credits appear in the next page. The pop ups in the book represents what the story in the film will be about; a brief summary for the audience as it moves on to the next page. The characters and the objects conveys how each characters personality will be like, making the audience (like myself) would know that this story is going to be quite cheerful and happy film because it describes the life of a young boy. The music background is also quite cheerful and calming because it is the sound of an instrument and the whistling. In my opinion, this specific opening title sequence is very good and in fact, it is very creative. This is because this film decided to use a book to give a quick summary of what the film will be about to the audience, instead of real life and real people. Plus the pop up effects in the book gives so much meaning to it and I believe so much effort was put in to make the pop up effects for the opening title of this film.

Film analysis: the pink panther, (2006), Shawn LevyThe Pink Panther is a American comedy film and a reboot of The Pink Panther franchise, marking the tenth instalment in the series the film was released in 2006. In this film, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is assigned to solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and the theft of the famous Pink Panther diamond. The film stars Steve Martin as Clouseau and also co-stars Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer and Beyonc.The story starts when Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus narrates a flashback of a soccer match between France and China. French coach Yves Gluant enters the stadium, wearing the Pink Panther diamond ring. After France wins the game in sudden death, Gluant is killed by a poison dart, with the Pink Panther nowhere to be found. Eager to win the Medal of Honour, Dreyfus promotes a clumsy small-town policeman and "village idiot", Jacques Clouseau, to the rank of Inspector and assigns him to the Pink Panther case. Dreyfus simultaneously assembles a secret team of top investigators to crack the case, allowing Clouseau to serve as the public face of the investigation and draw all the media attention. Dreyfus assigns Gilbert Ponton to be Clouseau's assistant, instructing him to keep him informed of Clouseau's actions. Despite his orders, Ponton quickly becomes friends with Clouseau.

Title sequence analysis: the pink panther, (2006), Shawn Levy(the opening title sequence analysis)

The opening title sequence starts with a shiny purple/pink diamond which I think it represents the pink panther because of the colour match. The pink panther dances and flicks his finger to show the credits, as it slides to the grumpy policeman searching for him as the pink panther causes troubles around the policeman which leads to how the troubles he causes is comedic for the audience. In other words, I have realised that the film Catch me if you can opening title is very similar with this films opening title because they both use cartoony theme and they both changes characters/objects in to different shapes.