Analysis of 'Life Of Pi,' 'Resident Evil Afterlife' and 'Snatch' film openings

Genre

The fan made 'Life Of Pi' opening sequence identifies the film as an adventure drama with a very stylised and vibrantly-coloured design, accompanied with a non-diegetic high-pitched musical score that connotes elegance. The design is based around a stem of leaves that changes direction as it grows, relating to nature and presenting the design in a dramatic way - rising and falling as the music does, showing a sense of progression to reflect the narrative's structure.

In comparison, the 'Resident Evil Afterlife' opening conveys it's genre as an action horror by basing it around a biologically-infected woman, gradually revealing her in slow motion establishing shots that are coupled with a consistent bass beat that's dark connotations are stereotypically associated with the horror genre. Similarly, the heavy rain is another convention of the horror genre, and the fact that this sequence concludes with bloodshed solidifies what genre this film is, due to the woman biting a man's neck being typically unethical.

'Snatch's sequence establishes the film as a crime thriller by beginning with a gradual panning shot of TVs that are showing CCTV camera footage. This is stereotypically reflected with the crime genre, as is the dress code of the men within the footage, wearing dark clothes which connote depression, death and a lack of expressionism, which are also often seen in the thriller genre. In terms of props, these characters are also seen using guns as an intimidation tactic that's reflected in the reaction of the office workers. Guns are a key signifier of the crime genre, as well as establish a violent tone for the rest of the film.











Narrative


When it comes to narrative, the 'Life Of Pi' sequence uses simplicity and visual symbolism to retain an enigmatic element, keeping the narrative relatively concealed. Despite this, the stylised growth of the stem the sequence is based around could reflect the main protagonist's maturate growth as the narrative progresses. During the opening, the leaves on the stem is used to reveal an equally animated tiger. The fact that it stays in shot for a while suggests it has some importance within the narrative, and that it ties in with the naturalistic aspect of the growing stem.

'Resident Evil Afterlife,' however, highlights the abnormality and iconography of the franchise, making a clear distinction of characters by showing the infected woman among average urban citizens. This creates questions that the audience want answered, for the sake of closure, such as who was the man she killed and what does this opening contribute to the rest of the narrative? A majority of the sequence is in slow motion to make it appear more stylised and compels the audience to focus more on the cinematography, similarly to 'Life Of Pi,' using striking visuals to help keep the narrative concealed and not give anything away.

By contrast, 'Snatch' sets up the narrative for the rest of the film, with a majority of the sequence regarding four men stealing some diamonds that become the physical goal that all the protagonists and antagonists strive towards. The beginning of the sequence has a different tone and is set after the events of most of the narrative, with the rest being a flashback to provide context for the two  main protagonist that are introduced, already developing them with the use of a non-diegetic voice over from one of them, informing the audience of their names and work ethic background.

Character

In the 'Life Of Pi' opening the only character we're introduced to is the tiger, and that singularity amplifies it's importance, suggesting it is or has some relation to the main protagonist. Because the sequence is animated, the tiger is conveyed with a lack of detail which implies this animal could serve more as a symbol, referring to the animalistic quality within people. Another way of looking at it is the fact that tigers are stereotypically associated with nature, it could be a use of imagery to suggest that most of this film is set in very naturalistic place, or even that the characters within the narrative are quite savage and cunning, much like a tiger.

With 'Resident Evil Afterlife,' having it's sequence centred on an infected woman, it suggests that she's used as a signifier to help identify the film as an example of the horror genre. For a vast majority of the scene, she's presented in quite a sexual manor, with the camera slowly tilting vertically up her legs and her dress code being minimal, especially considering it's raining in the scene. The red high-heels connote a rather flirtatious and feminine persona, and conflict with her abnormal behaviour of just standing in the middle of a road-crossing. This confuses the audience and therefore helps to engage them in the story,  making her unexpected attack on the man all the more distinctive and puts into perspective that the early disruption of the film's equilibrium impacts everybody within this constructed world.

In terms of character, the 'Snatch' opening sequence quickly goes into depth with two particular characters, implicating they play important roles in the rest of the film. Mentioning the diamonds stolen by the four men before they're even introduced suggests the following scene, and the rest of the film for that matter, is a flashback. Having the character 'Turkish' talk about the diamonds in such a personifying way excites the audience for what's to come. Embedding character development and establishing the main narrative in the film this early creates more of an emotional attachment between the film and the audience because, in this context, the more you know about something the more you'll care about it.

From a character perspective, all three films appear to focus on a minimal amount of characters to help create an enigmatic feel and leave the audience wanting more. The characters in these films, and the stereotypes that they form to also help to set the mood and tone, similarly in this respect to a trailer, giving the audience a rough idea as to what can be expected in the rest of the film.

Atmosphere

'Life Of Pi' has quite an innocent feel, with the elegance of the nature animations creating a sense of purity. This is somewhat contrasted by the tiger whom doesn't even move, while the stem however is constantly changing and moving around the screen. This could be seen to mirror the way people are constantly having to deal with change and the consequences that follow, in comparison to animals who have a better concept of consistency and it's this conflict of behaviours that may be a key element within the narrative.

When it comes to atmosphere, 'Resident Evil Afterlife' has differentiated adultery tone that with the non-diegetic guitar music connoting a more Gothic atmosphere that's also reflected in the black clothing of the woman in the scene. The slow motion builds tension, with the jumps cuts also being in time with the music score to counteract the pacing difficulties that are usually seen in consistent uses of slow motion. All these elements suggest that the rest of the film will be tense, fast-paced with stylised cinematography and visuals, to link back to the video game roots in which this film is based upon.

The atmosphere in 'Snatch' is stereotypically gritty and unsophisticated, considering it belongs to the crime genre. The casual dialect in the character's diegetic language is a key signifier of the modern British stereotype of the men appearing intimidating and yet intellectually inferior. This contrast incorporates comedic attributes into this otherwise serious narrative, showing the stereotype of British gangsters in a more unique and therefore memorable interpretation. Near to the end of the robbery scene, the distinct transitions between shots, with the camera quickly tilting and zooming into one of the four main antagonists, mirrors the chaotic atmosphere that's to be expected with the use of guns. The chaos makes the audience empathise for the other characters in this scene because these transitions give them a better idea of how they were feeling, while also identifying the antagonists as particularly hostile.

Themes

Themes that are apparent in the 'Life Of Pi' opening sequence are nature, growth, purity, elegance, hope and ambition. They can be seen consistently in the sequence, including while the  production logo is being displayed, as the non-diegetic soundtrack begins then rather then when the titles begin to create a more gradual and easing tone. This graduation could also suggest a similarly slow pace can be seen in the rest of the film, while it also has connotations that link into the film's themes, such as elegance and growth. The violin's tempo rises and falls, to reflect each stage of the narrative and also connotes innocence, appealing to it's target audience of children while also containing signifiers related to that of the adventure genre.

In contrast, because 'Resident Evil Afterlife' is a horror, it's themes are darker and more specified for teenagers and young adults. For example, the themes of destruction and death are consistent in this sequence through the aggressive persona of the infected woman and the gradual rise in a low-tempo drum beat, building up to establish these two themes visually (death through the male civilian and destruction through the birds eye view shot, at the end of the sequence, zooming out to display a wide scale of terror and dismantlement). Another important theme is a lack of hope, apparent through the ripple effect this one act of violence is seen to have on a global scale, using this element to help the audience understand the context of the film's narrative, as well as establishing what themes in particular the film capitalises on.

Similarly, 'Snatch' is specified at an older target audience than 'Life Of Pi,' which is specified through less vibrant colours in shot, such as costumes and set designs, to connote a more realistic and gritty mood and tone. Key themes that stand out in this opening are turmoil, danger and humour. The humour, in specific, comes from the more subtle attributes of this sequence, with an example not so much being the hostile and awkward atmosphere the first two characters create but the non-diegetic voice over, giving a completely different feel to the scene, referring to the number of people that are 'named after a plane crash.' This random and partially immature trail of thought makes us look at his character in a more comedic light, despite his physically and stereotypically masculine attributes.

Setting

There is no apparent setting in the 'Life Of Pi' opening sequence however there are multiple connotations of a naturalistic setting due to the main focus of the sequence being the growth of this one small plant becoming greater in scale and complexity, as well as the tiger in the grass being stereotypically associated with a more nature-orientated setting.

'Resident Evil Afterlife's setting however is focused in a more urban setting, with the big zebra crossing being a typical feature of a built up area. This idea is solidified by the large amount of people crossing in a clinical and emotionless respect, and therefore making the woman's physical appearance, in regards to body language, all the more significant in comparison. The Asian ethnicity of the people within this sequence suggests the setting for this opening, or even the film as a whole, is set in an Asian city, implying that the quick disruption of the film's equilibrium effects everyone on a global scale.

In the first setting of 'Snatch' they use low key lighting, darkening any background to create a hostile and interrogational feel to the scene. This suggests that the director wanted the audience to focus on the characters and the dialogue, and not judge them based upon the location they're related to. The second scene appears to be set in some form of office block, using the signifier of office cubicles and a smart dress code to help better identify this stereotype. This normality and convention creates a stronger contrast to the previous scene as well as the introduction of the four antagonists, making the havoc they cause more impacting.

Sound

In terms of sound, because the 'Life Of Pi' sequence is animated simplistically there is no diegetic sound, however this opening is accompanied with a consistent musical score that is equally simplistic and important, in regards to symbolism. The use of the violin connotes a sense of beauty and innocence, which links to the film's target audience being children because of their association with these elements. The music's change in pace reflects the movement of the plant, creating a sense of sentimentality and elegance within the plant and it's physical journey, and while doing so, linking to the adventure aspect to this film's genre.

'Resident Evil Afterlife' also has no diegetic dialogue, keeping the audience clueless as to what's going on, maintaining an element of tension. A non-diegetic electric guitar plays over the top of the title sequence, which is stereotypically accompanied with the horror genre. The repetition of the same cord goes well with the slow motion shots, and the titles are in time with the tempo of the music so that they don't become the main focus of the scene.

'Snatch' establishes a contradicting element of comedy within this film, as seen in the diegetic quotation 'That's Tommy. He tells people he was named after a gun, but I know he was really named after a 19th century ballet dancer.' This cancels out any sense of intimidation audience members previously connoted about this Tommy character. Similarly, the non-diegetic music playing at the beginning of the robbery scene is quite light-hearted and isn't usually used in scenes of this nature.

Titles

The titles of 'Life Of Pi' are simplistic and easily readable, which is another identifier of the target audience being children, because if the font was more complicated children wouldn't be able to understand this aspect of the sequence. The colour of the titles being white connotes purity and innocence, while it also contrast the main colour of the opening being orange so that both elements stand out on screen.

In comparison, 'Resident Evil Afterlife's opening also has white/silver titles to contrast the setting of the low lit city landscape. When it comes to the actual font, it's very jagged and sharp, signifying the horror genre and hints to elements of violence within the narrative. After the films title appears the cast and crew titles appear significantly smaller and in the corners of the screen, which implies that the film makers wanted the audience to pay more attention as to what was actually happening within the film, to create it's tone.

For 'Snatch,' the first title to appear is the producers name. This suggests his contribution to the film was vast and that his name is well known, insuring the audience that this product is of a high standard of quality. For the rest of the titles, like the previous two films, they too are white, however these titles distinguish themselves by being accompanied within a black rectangular box to connote the idea of good vs. evil and therefore also suggests that the film's narrative will elaborate on this. It was also contextually fitting, seeing as they were placed on the low standard CCTV monitors and making the titles blend better with the chosen environment. The film's main title, however, is not integrated into the shot so that the audience realise that it's significance.

Here are the film openings to show the contrast in genre and how each conveys it's distinction:

Analysis of 'Children Of Men' and 'Lord Of War' film openings

Genre

In the 'Children Of Men' opening sequence, the films genre being a drama thriller is identified through the lack of non-diegetic music creating an awkward atmosphere, and suggesting that the rest of the film is equally full of suspense. It also establishes dark and mature themes, associated with the drama genre, through the diegetic sound of newsreaders reporting a tragic death, while also giving the audience historical context, which helps them to understand the narrative, considering it's set in the future.

In comparison, the opening sequence to 'Lord Of War' identifies itself as a crime drama by showing the manufacturing process of a bullet, which is stereotypically associated with crime and violence, establishing the genre. Another indicator is the non-diegetic song playing throughout the sequence, referring to guns being pointed and battle lines within the lyrics. Also, the consistency of utilitarian clothing connotes war and aggression, linking back with the themes of violence and crime.

Narrative

The religious references within the news reports of the 'Children Of Men' opening make the premise of the film more relatable and offers cultural significance by putting into perspective how drastic the concept of the world no longer allowing natural birth has become, effecting all areas of society. Religion is a good way to incorporate verisimilitude, to ground the film and, in this case, create a realistic interpretation of the future. Using news reports is also a good way to bring the audience up to speed quickly, efficiently and, critically, from a non-biased perspective. All opening sequences are designed to entice audiences and hook them into the narrative by creating questions that they want answers. In this case there's an unexpected explosion that soon gets cut off by the film title, already making the audience want to continue watching, for the sake of closure.

In terms of narrative, the 'Lord Of War' opening is quite vague, not introducing any of the main characters nor dialogue for that matter. Tracking the life of a bullet could however suggest their profession, or even reflect the narrative when it comes to changes in character dynamic. For example, the bullet starts off in a factory and then soon moves to a contrasting, more exotic and naturalistic, location that consists of heavily armed soldiers. This suggests that changes in location and character types are to be expected within the narrative. Like 'Children Of Men,' this also opens up questions for the audience, such as how do these bullets relate to the narrative and what is significant about the change of locations?

Character

During the visual news report in the 'Children Of Men' opening, the news channel cuts to a clip of a baby using direct mode of address. This creates a sense of sincerity, causing the audience to empathise with the recently deceased, while also displaying his significance within the narrative. The main protagonist of the film is identified when he's introduced into the shot while the camera and everyone in the shot is standing still, making his entrance all the more apparent. The camera then follows his movement out of the café, so that the following explosion is from his view point, continuing the aspect of realism over the more commonly used stylised techniques, to make the explosion more plausible and authentic.

The only characters we're introduced to that stand out with close ups or inconsistently long-lasting mid-shots in the 'Lord Of War' opening are a factory worker, an army general and a criminal. This implies they, are there character types, have some importance in the rest of the film. The fact that they're so wide in variety means there's a clear distinction in both formality and social hierarchy, with the only common element being the bullet, which could symbolise that despite the differences a bullet can kill anyone.

Atmosphere

The 'Children Of Men' opening has quite a depressing tone, with peoples clothing being very dull and vibrant-lacking colours, such as grey and black, both connoting a sense of unimportance and a lack of enthusiasm, hope and ambition. The consistency of these colours throughout the scene suggests this depression effects everyone within the narrative, and that it is therefore one of the key themes of the film. The empathetic facial expressions shown in the scene also establishes an atmosphere of mourning, in context with the death referred to in the news reports, implying he was of some importance to them, generating questions such as why is he so important and how does this effect the main protagonist, who at the time seems oblivious in contrast?

By contrast, the 'Lord Of War' opening begins with a stereotypically boring and mechanically repetitive working day, with the close up of a factory worker conveying a lack of enthusiasm and therefore creating a dull and uneventful atmosphere. This is, however, conflicting with the theme of war, which is usually seen in quite an exciting light, consequently creating a subtle hint of comedic attributes. With the camera following the bullet as it's being crushed and moulded into shape, it makes everything else, including people, appear a lot bigger in comparison, connoting intimidation and solitude.

Themes

The key themes that are apparent in the 'Children Of Men' opening are misery and war. They're established through a combination of the news readers mentioning the death of the world's youngest person, the colour of the clothing of the citizens and the lack of non-diegetic music to create an uneasy tone for the audience. The war aspect, in particular, is visually established through an explosion that occurs at the end of the clip, suggesting that this level of violence can be seen in the rest of the film. Shortly after this, there's a diegetic ringing sound, coupled with the camera then shaking and becoming hand-held, linking back to the use of verisimilitude.

Similarly, in the 'Lord Of War' opening, some of the themes that are identified are violence, death and loneliness. The element of death is only established at the end of the sequence, when the young boy is killed by the very bullet that has been the key physical aspect of the sequence, possibly referring to the significance of that child or to be a symbol for the unnecessary chaos that war creates. By contrast, the lonely theme is hinted at during the beginning of the clip, in which is slower paced, due to the gradual opening of the non-diegetic music, starting of with a low-pitched and repetitive beat. Another identifier is the long lasting opening establishing shot of the factory, having the camera at a high angle to make the worker seem all the more lonely and insignificant, which could mirror attributes of one of the main characters.










Setting

The setting for the 'Children Of Men' sequence was a café, packed with citizens watching the news report, putting into perspective how important a role that plays in the film's narrative, even it was just for the sake of context. The café represents a sense of regularity, with relatable aesthetics between the present and the near future in which this film is set. This suggests that the film will be set in quite an urban location (which is also apparent in the lack of utilitarian clothing).

In comparison, the 'Lord Of War's location are more varied, however they're also introduced in a more concealed way. Because the sequence follows the life of a bullet, it is seen to be placed in a box after production, and after this happens the box soon gets opened and is found in cargo shipping bay, being examined by a military soldier of high stature; this appeals to the stereotypical association with weapons and the army. Next, the screen goes to black, only for the box to be re-opened in a more tropical location and the bullets to be used by a contrastingly unofficial army that appear to form to the stereotype of black pirates. These numerous locations suggest an equal amount of variation can be seen in the rest of the film's narrative, while conveying different themes and economical implications in the process.

Sound

In terms of diegetic dialogue, in 'Children Of Men,' this opening avoids the stereotype of the male protagonist being very confident and expressive of his emotions. This is seen when all he says, throughout the opening, is he'd like a coffee and even the way he says it so quietly, mumbling and under his breath leads the audience to believe that he is somehow emotionally damaged, and intriguing them as to the cause of it in the process. By contrast, the clarity and consistency of the news reporter leads us to infer that the main focus of the scene isn't the main protagonist but indeed the content of the report, incorporating an element of equality within this constructed community.

The diegetic sound effects that can be herd in the 'Lord Of War' sequence are very metallic and clinical noises made by the machines. An example can be seen when the bullet is first introduced as just a sheet that's quickly stamped and clamped on by a machine, to mould it into shape. Each of these sound effects create quite aggressive and intimidating connotations, elaborating on the power such devices can have, which links back the power a bullet has over people and how different stereotypes within this opening treat such power. When the bullet is in the tropical region there are subtle diegetic sounds of animals that are associated with that region, such as grass hoppers, to create a sense of authentication within the representation of that country. This suggests that the film uses verisimilitude to make the narrative more believable for an intelligent and contemporary audience.

Titles

The 'Children Of Men's opening sequence titles are very limited, so that the audience maintains focus on what's being said, setting the scene for the abnormality of this particular interpretation of the future. The only titles are the mentions of the three film company contributors, Universal, Strike Entertainment and the associated production company Hit and Run, as well as the films title at the end of the sequence. They use a very simplistic colour scheme, black and white, with an equally style-lacking font to imply a low production value for the film, not having the money to invest into a more unique display of the titles. That having been said, the clarity and simplicity of these titles could also connote a link to the society within the film, being similarly average and unimportant, establishing social hierarchy in the process.

In the case of 'Lord Of War' however, there is a long list of cast and crew members, which implies that it has a higher budget than 'Children Of Men,' being able to afford more well-known actors, such as Nicholas Cage and Ethan Hawke. The fact that Nicholas Cage is the only name to appear before the title of the film suggests his importance within the film and that he is therefore most likely the main protagonist. The fact that the 'Lord Of War' title is timed with the introduction of the bullet means that violence is a key theme in the film, and solidifies the significance of the bullet as a product, taking away the humane connotations of it. Nine actors/actresses names then appear before crew credits then begin, identifying what actors are in supporting roles. Within those nine, four appeared on screen in pairs, which implicates a shared amount of screen time and/or importance, in context with the narrative.

These are the two film openings, for visual comparison:

Analysis of 'Catch Me If You Can' and 'My Best Friend's Wedding' film openings

Genre

In the opening sequence to 'Catch Me If You Can,' it  becomes soon apparent that the genre of the film is a crime/drama, due to the non-diegetic sophisticated jazz music being stereotypically associated with criminals and hustlers. Another identifier is the fast pace of the sequence, with the two main characters running throughout, chasing one another, and already identifying whom of which is the antagonist.

In comparison, the opening to 'My Best Friend's Wedding' reveals it's genre to be a romantic comedy by using vibrant colours for the setting and the character's costumes. The walls being bright pink is a stereotypical representation of women being associated with that colour, also connoting romance, femininity and a light-hearted nature. The diegetic song playing throughout is another indicator of this films genre because the lyrics relate to loving a man and what the expected conventions are in a relationship, displaying them as the stereotypically dominant sex.

Narrative

'Catch Me If You Can' informs it's audience of the narrative by highlighting the key moments in the film through the stylised opening sequence, that forms to stereotypes (when it comes to the representation of class and gender), while it also gives the audience insight into the dress code being very formal and typical of the time period. In the case of gender, an example can be found when the main protagonist is swimming and the camera tracks his movement, while also revealing a woman in minimalistic clothing and a very sexual pose.

By contrast, 'My Best Friend's Wedding' gives the audience a glimpse into the narrative by the characters wearing clothing that's iconic of a wedding's dress code, such as a singular white dress surrounded by more refined, yet more colourful dresses (a stereotypical representation of weddings being very formal and feminine). With their body language being synchronised and over the top, it implies that the narrative takes a non-naturalistic route, and possibly inspired by a musicals conventions of consistent, and in this case alienating, song and dancing.












Character

Character types are identified in 'Catch Me If You Can,' with the main protagonist portraying conventions that relate to a criminals, while the supporting character conveys traits that are associated with a police officer, typical of the 1950s time period. For example, at the beginning of the sequence, the protagonist is seen side-stepping and attempting to conceal himself, where as the police officer is seen sitting down in a suit and hat reading a news paper on a bench, keeping an eye out for trouble. The fact that actors names are conveniently timed with the entrance of any new characters means audiences can quickly have light shed on, what is at this point, unknown as to whom a cast member plays. An example of this can be found with the previously mentioned sexually posed woman, with her introduction being well timed with the cast member title of 'Amy Adams' on screen, suggesting to the audience that this actress plays this character.

In relation to this, 'My Best 'Friend's Wedding' conveys it's character types through the rest of the characters idolising the woman in the wedding dress, which implicates that she is the main character. The idolising is established through the bride always being the centre of attention, and often in the centre of the frame, with the other characters admiring her ring and/or fiddling with her dress, which quickly identifies who is the main protagonist and also reveals to the audience her self-involved and stereotypically feminine personality. For example, roughly half way through the clip, in a long shot of all the characters, a couple of brides maids are surrounding and comforting her, while the other adds some final touches to the dress. This puts into perspective the importance of the main protagonist, in context with the narrative, as well as the other characters lacking any sense of substance or independence.

Atmosphere

'Catch Me If You Can' creates quite an exciting atmosphere through the fast paced editing and constantly changing scenery, accompanied with jazz music, with it's tempo quickening as the chase between the two characters becomes equally faster and more tense. This reflects the drama aspect of this films hybrid genre, already setting the tone for the film. It also hooks audiences, due to the unexplained various settings and characters, raising questions that audience members want answered so that they have closure after having watched the film.

'My Best Friend's Wedding,' however, is more simplistic and therefore doesn't raise as many questions to entice it's audience. That having been said, it does create an atmosphere of light-hearted romance, to link in with it's genre, with the consistent, and slow paced, singing and dancing regarding love being stereotypically associated with this genre. The opening also, ironically, creates a contrasting element of intimidation, with all the characters using direct mode of address throughout the sequence, making audience members feel slightly uncomfortable, which could perhaps mirror how the traditional groom in a movie of this genre feels soon before getting married.

Themes

The key themes that are established within the opening of 'Catch Me If You Can' are chase, identity and disguise. Chase because the main protagonist is being chased by the police officer throughout the clip, identity because the characters are all represented as distinguished stereotypes that are associated with whatever setting they're currently in to give them a sense of identity, and disguise because the main protagonist changes his clothing multiple times to blend with his environment and hide from the officer.

In comparison, the key themes in the opening sequence of 'My Best Friend's Wedding' are love and elegance. Weddings are a long term action, in the context of love between two people, and therefore is always associated with this genre, regardless of it's narrative. Elegance is apparent because the singing from the characters is well pronounced and their etiquette continues to be formal, despite the occasional facial expressions appearing flirtatious and somewhat playful. Their body language is also quite refined and in time with the music, suggesting that these characters don't defy social convention and stick to their stereotypically feminine etiquette.

Setting 

Iconography is used consistently in the 'Catch Me If You Can' opening, with an example being the iconic image of a yellow taxi being used to suggest that the film, at one point, takes place in New York City. Because the scenery changes multiple times throughout the opening, it suggests that this will be reflected in the rest of the film. The iconography in the sequence is also wide in variety, with other examples being a plane to symbolise an airport, a swimming pool for a leisure resort and a stethoscope and nurses costume for a hospital.

By contrast, 'My Best Friend's Wedding' has no particular setting, merely a fluorescent pink wallpaper in the background, which implies that this sequence is more of an ideal imagining of a wedding, rather than a realistic interpretation. This most likely used so that the audience empathise for the bride, by knowing and understanding her goal, and putting it into perspective with reality, to show a clear distinction.

Sound

The opening non-diegetic music to 'Catch Me If You Can' is high pitched and repetitive, typical of the 'jazzy' time period, soon breaking the repetition with a lower-tempo sound effect to imply a change in dynamic; this suggests that the non-diegetic music mirrors the narrative of the film, to better prepare the audience for the rest of the film. Soon after, the repetitive theme comes backs in, only this time it's higher and quicker, coinciding with the introduction of a character to suggest their importance in the narrative. Because this music connotes suspicion and concealment, it implicates that the character who's introduced is a stereotypical criminal - hiding in plain sight. This repetition continues throughout, rising and falling depending on the scenery and how close the two characters chasing each other become, to create tension.

In relation to this, 'My Best Friend's Wedding,' begins with a simple, and diegetic, acoustic guitar, with it soon being accompanied by the four female characters singing the lyrics to a song about love, to reflect the genre and give the audience insight into these characters personalities. For example, the brides maids accompanying as back up voices to the main singing of the bride suggests that they priorities her over themselves, to fulfil there job as bridesmaids, and connoting loyal friendships.

Titles

Much like the sound in 'Catch Me If You Can,' the titles in this sequence coincide with the introduction of new characters, making it obvious who each actor is playing. For example, at the beginning of the clip, when we're introduced to the criminal the name 'Leonardo DiCaprio' appears on the screen, with a yellow arrow pointing to the character and the audience immediately making a correlation between those two devices, putting it into perspective with the narrative so that the rest of the film makes more sense.











The titles in 'My Best Friend's wedding' uses a calligraphy font to connote the elegance and femininity that was also established in the stereotypical characters, creating a sense of consistency. The main actors are apparent in this sequence by being chronologically placed before the title of the film, with examples being found with names such as 'Julia Roberts' and 'Dermot Mulroney.' This informs the audience of their importance within the film, and indicates whom of the four female characters on screen selected actors are playing.

To conclude, film openings are used to quickly establish the films genre, narrative, character types, atmosphere, key themes and settings, through both sound and visual techniques. Depending on the genre, opening sequences are wide in variety to appeal to different target audiences and make their film as memorable as possible.

Differences between a trailer and an opening sequence

An opening sequence and a trailer show very distinctive traits, conveying different purposes, when it comes to enticing audiences. For example, the trailer for 'Transcendence' was designed to excite audiences , with the use of montages and discontinuous editing, giving them a brief outline of the narrative and characters, so that they know what can be expected from this film. By contrast, the opening sequence to 'Quantum Of Solace' begins slower paced, with establishing shots and production logos lasting longer on screen and continuous editing being apparent throughout. The purpose of this opening sequence is to introduce at least one character, setting, time period, mood and tone. These are all quickly apparent through mise-en-scene, with the modern sports car establishing the time period, a character through multiple close ups and the sequence following his movements, the setting, with a wide, gradually moving in, establishing shot and the mood and tone being clear through the use of guns, resulting in the destruction of cars and buildings. Because this pacing is quickened by the car chase, the stylised and typically 'Bond' title sequence isn't introduced until after this scene, creating questions that the audience want answered to give them closure, such as why was the main protagonist being chased and what ripple effect does this have on the rest of the narrative?

It is rare for a film to begin with any noticeable transitions, like a trailer does, because some, such as the commonly used fade transition, suggests a lot of time has past since the previous shot and, particularly in the case of the 'Quantum Of Solace,' that wouldn't make chronological sense -  an entirely different tone would be established and that would also appear inconsistent with the stereotypical conventions of an action/thriller. The music that accompanies an opening sequence is a good technique to identify it's genre, as well as convey the mood and tone of the film. In the case of 'Quantum Of Solace,' even when the production logos are being shown, some heavy drum beats are used to suggest tension, soon cutting out and all can be herd is the diegetic sound effects of car engines and gunfire, to continue the suspense in a less repetitive and predictable way than the music did. In comparison, the 'Transcendence' trailer has a more consistent base drop for each fragment and any taglines, to show their significance and create a dramatic effect to hook the audience. Taglines are a technique exclusive to trailers and invite audiences by asking rhetorical questions and/or compelling sentiments that are in context with the plot.

Here are the key features of a trailer:

• taglines
• exciting fragments
• institutional logos
• title appearing at the end

By contrast, here are the key features of a film opening:

• details of cast and crew
• film title near the beginning
• introduction of at least one character
• indication of place
• historical period established
• creating a mood and tone
• identified genre
• results in questions the audience want answered
• establishes editing techniques that are echoed in the rest of the film

Below are visual examples of both an opening sequence and a trailer:

The preliminary task

Knowing that we had to incorporate 5 specific techniques (180 degree rule, match on action shot, shot reverse shot, a door shot and conversational shots) into our short films, I came up with the idea of an interrogation. Being a fan of 'C.S.I.,' I was familiar with the structure of this type of scene, and therefore I knew how to address the themes and display them in the film subtly. Luckily, myself and Christina took Drama for G.C.S.E., so we had previous experience in acting, which would help improve the quality of the film. I also chose an interrogation because it was a good opportunity to incorporate a wide variety of shot types, including the 5 techniques that were essential. I say a good opportunity because this type of scene is always about power and authority, that is usually displayed by the main protagonists, and a way to physically demonstrate this dominance is through levels. For example in one section of the film I'm standing over Christina, while she's sitting down, to show the empowering persona of my character.

Once we agreed on the scene, we discussed the plot, to give reasoning for the interrogation and thereby giving the film more substance. I knew that conspiracies were an element that's often explored with the thriller genre, so, when I began to write the script for our group, (after confirmation from my two partners), I decided to have a twist at the end, involving a conspiracy. Because the films were intended to be very short, the script reflected that sense of pacing, which, in this context, was a good thing, due to pacing always being quick in thrillers.

Once the script was approved by Connie and Christina, we proceeded to do the storyboard, while our teacher, Miss Peacock, read the script through. As a film fan, on several occasions I've noticed mid shots of main characters from behind, and I've always viewed that as a very powerful shot because it indicates a sense of suspicion and lack of identity, which would particularly work  to our advantage, in context with our plot. I therefore suggested to my group that it would be a good shot to begin our film with, to quickly establish the themes and convey a strong introduction for my character. To make sure we had the match on action shot, we went from the mid shot and continued the same shot to show me walking to a door. The camera then cuts to a close up of my hand on the door handle and then instantly viewing me walking through the other side of the door. This was all displayed on our storyboard in depth, with additional information such as lighting conditions, the symbolism behind the shot and the length of it. For the 180 degree rule application, we only ever placed the camera on 1 side of the room throughout, helping to aid in the continuity editing. The conversational and shot reverse shots came easy to a scene that's main focus was the dialogue, with my idea of Christina and I, for most of the scene, sitting across the table from one another to display aggression.

The following photos are of our storyboard:

You'll note if you watch the film that we made sure we stuck to the storyboard and Incorporated every shot that we originally intended. This displayed our good functioning and accuracy as a team by constantly discussing how we conveyed meaning in our film through mise-en-scene as well as the shot types and dialogue.

This is our shot list:

1. Mid-shot
2. Close up
3. Long shot
4. Establishing shot
5. Mid-shot
6. Mid-shot
7. Mid-shot
8. Long shot
9. Mid-shot
10. Mid-shot
11. Over the shoulder shot
12. Mid-shot
13. Mid-shot
14. Mid-shot
15. Long shot
16. Mid-shot
17. Mid-shot
18. Close up

A majority of our shots were mid-shots because this scene contained a lot of dialogue, and in order capture the actors facial expression and body language with clarity we thought this shot type fulfilled it's purpose. In relation, the establishing, close up and over the shoulder shots created a sense of diversity and variation to make the scene appear less repetitive.

This is our script, consisting of a conversation between mine and Christina's characters:

Media Studies Preliminary Task Script

Characters:

·         Matt – an experienced cop who’s known for doing whatever’s necessary to get results.

·         Alicia – a successful criminal who’s currently suspected of murder.

   

Scene starts with a mid-shot of Matt from behind walking to a door. He then opens the door in the same shot. Once he’s in the doorway, it then cuts to the other side of the door and he walks the rest of the way through. There is then an establishing shot of the room, showing Alicia sitting at the table.

 

Matt: The camera is at table height and follows. Matt paces in the room. So… you know why you’re here, don’t you? (Alicia pays no attention)

 Alicia: Same shot. I want a lawyer. (Still not looking at Matt)

 Matt: Low angle shot of him. He’s on his way. But until then, we’re going to have a little chat. Cuts to a mid-shot of Matt sitting down.  

 Alicia: Long shot of both of them at the table. I haven’t even been charged with anything.

 Matt: Not yet. Mid-shot of Matt. But as soon as your lawyer gets here, you’re going to be charged with first degree murder. (Looking smug and confident)

 Alicia: Side on mid-shot of her. (Suddenly alerted) What?! That’s ridiculous! Where’s the proof?!

 Matt: Over the shoulder shot from Alicia’s perspective. We found your fingerprints on the murder weapon and we have several eyewitnesses that can put you at the scene.

 Alicia: Panning mid-shot of her. I didn’t kill anybody!

 Matt: Mid-shot of Matt. (whacks his hands on the table, and Alicia jumps in fear) Don’t lie to me!

 Alicia: Mid-shot of Alicia. Okay! Okay, I did it! I killed that man. But it’s not what you think!

 Matt: Long shot of both of them at the table. (sarcastically) Is that right?

 Alicia: Same shot. I was just following orders!

 Matt: Mid-shot of Matt. Who ordered the hit?

 Alicia: Mid-shot of Alicia. (Hesitation) The Prime Minister.

 

Close up of Matt shocked of this news. The screen then goes to black, quickly followed by the phrase: ‘to be continued.’


I found filming to be quite easy because we thoroughly planned ahead of time, however I didn't expect it would take 2 hours to shoot, considering it resulted in only a minute or so worth of footage. The only taxing thing about it was multitasking between directing myself and Christina (in terms of the delivery of our lines) and guiding Connie with the camera, because I could only do one thing at a time and it resulted in a compromise of overall quality. I believe, if we had a bigger group, each person would have less responsibility and could therefore focus all their energy on one particular element of the film. The only equipment we used was the hand-held camera which, because of it's size, was easily manoeuvrable, and the tripod that it accompanied, aiding in less shaky camera detection. My personal favourite part about filming was acting, because it's a passion of mine and I like to think I portrayed a realistic interpretation of a rebellious police officer.

The video below is the finished product of our film. It's called 'The Conspiracy,' because the name is short, it's memorable and it mirrors the main theme of the film. The simplicity of it, I thought, also created a dark undertone that establishes the tension that's seen throughout. The plot consists of my character, Detective Matt, interrogating suspect Alicia, with the evidence telling him she did it, with her soon revealing that there's a much bigger game in play...