Film Openings: Genre Specific Analysis

Shank

Shank is a youth-based action film, set in a decaying future London.

The opening sequence is very effective and creates a great expectation of the type of genre and storyline the film is about.

The opening starts with some videos of crime taking place. this immediately sets the tone of violence and rebelliousness.

The diegetic music used in this opening is very eerie and sets the genre of thriller and action.
Near the beginning we also see what is known to be a main key convention which is the name of the production companies who are very important as they are the ones who have funded the film.

Then the main actors are identified and we see that `Adam Deacon` who is a star from the film `Kidulthood` is mentioned first, this gives the audience a good feeling that the film is going to be a similar genre to `Kidulthood` as it has the same actors but also because we see him holding a baseball bat which connotes that there will be violence and threats in the forthcoming film which is a very stereotypical view of this type of genre.

Also identified is `Kaya Scodelario` who is one of the main actresses from the recent series of Skins. This too gives a good sense that the film is going to be generally similar to skins which is also a typical type of programme for this genre. This is a good way to attract more viewers as these films and TV series are very popular to its target market which will attract the same kind of people to this movie.

      

 

The mise-en-scene of this film opening is very typical for this type of genre as we see a typical rundown town and buildings which are not very picturesque. We also see a picture of a smashed car, a CCTV camera and lots of barb wire and a lot of old flats. this connotes that the genre of the film is very `gangster like` as the CCTV cameras and barb wire connotes that the characters must be outrageous and have to be contained and watched by cameras. also, the smashed car gives a sense of rampage and fury. 

      

The titles of this opening scene is are very effective, they are in bold print and in capitals which make them stand out and appear powerful. There is not much colour in the title sequence, they are just black and white, this connotes simplicity which we relate to the genre of the film, it also makes it seem interesting as there seems to be no background as it is giving us no clue to the role of the characters or the setting of the following film, this makes the audience wonder about the characters and want to carry on watching the film. 

       

After the title sequence, the film opening cuts straight into a street chase; we see a young boy at the age of about sixteen running away from a boy on a motorbike who is right behind him chasing him. This is an example of Barthes` enigma code, as the audience is sent immediately into a chase that they know nothing about, they don't know who the victim is or what he has done or why he is being chased, this portrays a mystery to draw an audience in, pose questions and, as such, become intrigued in the piece and continue watching the film. 

Genre Mood Board

This is my genre mood board, it is a sort of 'mindmap' of ideas that can show and represent the genre of our film. These are some of the typical things that represent the genre of thriller and a sense of loneliness as a young girl ha runaway from home. 

First ideas

My Partner for this task is Jemma Turnbull. We have decided to go for a more mysterious film which is still a thriller/ horror movie but can relate to our audience.
We will rate our film as a 15 as our target audience is late teens and youths from 15-21 as they may be able to relate to this film, but if not, they will find it interesting and entertaining.
 Our first idea for our opening of a film:
A young girl out on her own having ran away from home. she gets into some trouble and has to catch a train out of town. This train is very old and knackered therefore the lights are switching on and off and shakes. All of a sudden the train goes pitch black and everything stops.
She then awakes in a different world where she seems to be `invisible` as nobody notices her and bash into her and walk straight past this little girl in need. We will then do some camera effects to make it look as if she is spinning and all she can see is this weird world. The titles will then end and the film can then start. This will draw people in to watch our film as the opening is very mysterious and doesn't conclude. this will encourage viewers to watch the rest of the film as they want to know the whole story as they have been dragged in.

From Script to Screen: How does the credit sequence from Dexter work?

In the 1940s and 50s a film style called film noir was very popular in America. These films portrayed the dark side of American life, full of urban crime and violence. Film noir had a distinct style, with shadow-filled low-key lighting. Night ruled in film noir, the shadow more important than the light.

The film opening of Dexter is a great example of this film style. The opening is very creative an cleaver which also portrays a dark side to the phsycologically challenged.  

Eric Anderson, the creative director of `Dexter` says that instead focusing mainly on what he calls 'self indulgent details', he thinks the most important things are the piece’s story, how it fundamentally relates to the show, and then how will this prepare a viewer’s mind for the show. This has to build excitement within the piece, therefore creating its overall impact on the audience as these will be the opening scenes for the series.

Dexter as a character is a forensic bloodstain pattern analyst but is also a serial killer. Whilst he goes through his transformation, he has been described as 'exactly the same Dexter except something is wrong.' This is demonstrated throughout the piece with crime scene type photographs which give a sinister feel to the piece.

The use of noir lighting and shallow depth of field adds a tense atmosphere throughout the piece, by using low key lighting and use of shadows it creates a more eery feeling to the opening.

Eric Anderson also realised that the word 'Dexter' is more or less the same upside down, so wanted to incorporate this feeling of everyday things being seen as menacing into the opening sequence. He also wanted to use this idea for Dexter as a character - normal on the outside, but if you look harder you see a completely different side to him as he seems to be mentally challenged. I think that the creative director thought very hard about what type of character he would create. Creating Dexter as a more original character brings a different feel to the film and he wants the viewers to look deeper into the story and try to figure out Dexter's other personality for ourselves, this gives a different perspective to the film and really makes the audience think. An example used by Eric Anderson to demonstrate Dexter's character was this one below of a window. First glance makes it seem like a normal window, but once you find out that Martin Luther King was shot from it then it becomes interesting and eery.

The first thing we see though is a close up shot of a fly on Dexter's arm. He squats it and we see a smile on his face as if he has enjoyed killing it, and he seems to gain a thrill from killing, this is very typical for this type o genre as it gives the audience a clue that Dexter isn't mentally stable which adds mystery to the film.

The mise-en-scene of this clip is important because this is the thing that gives this feel of 'eeriness'. The mise-en-scene and the shallow depth of field shots work together to create tension. The shallow depth of field shots are close up to the objects, such as the egg being cracked and the bacon being sliced to make them look as though they are representing a murder scene which makes the opening very tense and puts the viewer on edge as these normal everyday life objects are being portrayed as something much more interesting.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The titles of Dexter are also very interesting as they are quirky and unique. The editors have used block capitals which makes the titles stand out and seem powerful, but they are also in bright red which obviously represents blood, and immediately the audience can see this which is very stereotypical of this genre.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The non-diegetic music is very important in this film opening because it help to set the feel for the piece. It starts off quiet and with just a simple beat, this tune is obviously Japanese, which sets quite a calm atmosphere. However, suddenly the diegetic sound of Dexter squatting the fly is played whichshoks the audience and brings forth a feeling of suspense. As soon as it rolls into the title, the music starts getting more of a beat. The music sounds kind of spooky an eery. The music carries on with more or less the same beat, and the diegetic sound of the food frying and Dexter eating is played over the top. As the credits are coming to an end, the music dies down and a 'ping' noise is played as Dexter walks out of his apartment smiling. This 'ping' is a noise that indicates how 'cool' and normal Dexter comes across, despite everything else. The music overall is very effective because it helps give that sense of things not also being as they seem on the outside.

 

Research: Analysis of the opening of Juno

1. The opening sequence of Juno is very effective; it helps give the audience a good overall prediction of the film. The diegetic music is a very quirky downbeat love song which helps show that in the film love will develop and will be very strong. It is very cherry and happy which shows that she is happy with her lifestyle being contained as a child.

     2. The mise-en-scene is also very effective and plays a very important part in representing the forthcoming movie. The animated opening scene is very creative and smart which may connote to Juno’s character. We see shots of Juno walking past some suburban houses in her local area which connotes that the film will be very low key.

     The colour scheme of the mise-on-scene is very colourful showing colour of a baby blue, yellow and green. These colours are very childlike which connotes that Juno is still a child and is stuck in her own bubble of frozen time. The leaves falling from the trees show time passing and establish the time of year which will become important as she is pregnant. We also see Juno walk past an acoustic guitar which shows her retro interest in music

    
      3. Juno’s costume is very unisex which connotes her character to be very tomboyish, as she is wearing a blue jeans which are very stereotypical, a red sweat top and converse shoes; this also shows her in an indie view as she is very individual and doesn't seem to care what people think.

      4. The sunny delight carton she is drinking connotes her individual style of a bland diet, it also shows her childish nature as it is a drink mainly aimed at children, as we already know she has a childish nature this makes it even more obvious that she is in her own world

 5. Throughout the opening titles, the shots are sketched showing a child like feel to the movie. Juno walks in front and behind the credits, giving a continuity touch to the opening. She is in a bright red jacket and this makes her stand out against the dull buildings around her, connoting that she is the main character and that she is oblivious to the world around her.

     

Research: Key Conventions

Key conventions of an opening scene of a movie:

• Titles 
• Actors/Actresses names 
• Diagetic music 
• Barthes' Enigma Code 
• Narration 
• Exposition 
• Being able to establish the genre 
• Main characters 
• Main story line or setting of the movie.

 Having done some research into opening titles, I found a lot of key conventions.
One key convention is that the production companies are shown at the beginning of the titles. They are the ones who have funded and produced the film, so they have a duty to be mentioned. The names of the main, or most famous, actors are shown too. This is sometimes to draw the viewer more into the film if there is a famous actor identified. In the opening title, main characters are usually shown to show us, the audience, that they are important and take the most crucial role. The main setting is nearly always shown too, which sets the scene and gives the audience a feel for the movie. An example of this would be a council estate being shown with teenagers roaming around, which would give us the image of a film such as 'Adulthood'. The characters being shown in a certain setting gives them a persona, and this setting could be natural or unnatural for effect.

The most important thing - the name of the movie - is shown either at the beginning or at the end of the titles. 

The music most of the time always starts at the beginning of the titles and this non-diegetic music ends at the end of the opening titles, either for being dramatic or for a change of scene. The type of music can give the viewers a sense of the type of genre of the film.

As well as the production companies and the actors, the costume and music people are shown too. This is because they are of obviously importance to the movie. The last person to be mentioned is the director as he is the main person in charge of the film and has put the movie together and is basically in charge.

Popular shot types in the opening titles are close ups - especially in horrors - are point of view shots. Flashbacks and ellipsis are used too, for example "three months earlier". Writing a time or place can also be common. Narration/voice over is also popular. This is usually the main characters telling his or her story so far or introducing themselves.

The main thing that an opening title does is open up questions or puzzles which the audience find will be answered throughout the film, Barthes' Enigma Code states this.

There is usually drama or action too, showing what is to come. All these key conventions help the audience recognise the theme running throughout and therefore be able to tell the genre. These conventions are all very important in keeping the attention of the audience as to ensure they will want to carry on watching the film and are interested about what is about to come later on in the film.

Main Task

My main task is to film an opening sequence and titles for a new movie. This should create a genre for the following film and an image of what the forthcoming film will generally be about.
Deadlines:
Research Deadline- 26/11/10
Photo-storyboard Deadline - 3/12/11
Filming Deadline - 14/01/11
Production Deadline - 28/01/11
Evaluation - 11/02/10