Analysing film openings

Safiyah Bennington

Films

• I will be talking about the codes and conventions (most common things) found in (watch all until 2 minutes) :

My Sisters Keeper

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

Clueless

Drive

I chose these films because they all have differences including date or genre.

Titles

• All of the titles in the film openings provided have the most famous actors/actresses featured in the film either at the end or in a bigger font. This is to highlight the fact that they are playing good roles in the film, that it will be a good film and it also means the creator of the film knows that if the celebrity is featured, the audience will be more likely to want to watch the film and anticipate the time that they come on screen.

My Sisters keeper

• My Sisters Keeper starts with a calm ambient sound of music, played by a guitar and piano that is quite slow and on screen shows an old fashioned looking family tape recording and I know this because of the special effects of giving the video a flicker. Many of the shots aren't in focus and are extreme close up (ECU) shots on other family but on the main character who is also doing a voice over, she has medium to long shots for a vast majority of the time that she is on screen. This was done to automatically tell the audience that this film is based around her.

• The main actor/actresses names are over the video tape in a white font that gradually comes and go to give the film quite a 'pure' look. It is positioned on different sides each time because it makes the audience think that something isn't quite right as it is out of place (not in one place each time) and not in time sync with the music.

• By seeing the dark background and negative speech in the voice over I automatically know it is a drama film

• The lighting is dark and the voice over matches what is happening on screen. This makes the audience feel as though the speaker is reflecting and watching the videos

• As the opening goes on, the films go from being light (white background) and happy to dark (black background) which once again confuses the audience and shows that the speaker is going through a dark time but has to be happy

(ECU) Close Up shots are used as an establishment of the main characters and the fact that the camera is out of focus and bad quality reminds us that it is a home-film.

The darkness on the right side of the frame and narration of the character makes the audience feel as though they are watching the home film in a dark room with her. The titles at the side of the screen make the audience feel slightly out of place. The dark background also shows us that this film is a Drama.

The opening starts light then ends with a dark background. These are semiotics to show how the girls life started off as happy but gradually turned sour and negative (hence the dark background)

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower starts with a black screen and white titles in a typewriter font and non-diagetic sound of a type writer which clearly symbolizes that it will play a big part in the story.

• The black screen and titles of the people in this film are central and individual showing that they play big roles and also who the main people in the film is and once the scene is added behind the titles, the audience knows that there are more actors in the scene but they aren't as important.

• The tunnel is where the main character has his epiphany which changes his outlook on everything. So by using this in the first two minutes, the audience knows that at some point in the film it will make sense and also has non-diagetic music that is just vocals and an acoustic guitar and this once again represents the purity of the film and also makes it feel quite 'clean.' Because so much of the opening is set in the tunnel, it shows that it will play a big part in the film and by using the tracking shot it tells us that the person speaking near the end of the two minutes is on a journey and that there perhaps is light at the end of the 'tunnel' and lighting from street lights makes me think it is very young and fresh.

• There is a fade out of music and a cross over cut from the black sky to the window, then a voice over of a teenage boy writing a letter to an unknown person and an over the shoulder shot is used as he writes. We can see his reflection in the window and learn that it is a boy sitting alone. This may tell the audience that he doesn't have many friends near him and is therefore alone

• By hearing the boy start the letter, and start tslking about going to school we know this is a coming of age film and by hearing the love song that is non-diagetic we also know that there will be a love story.

Typewriter font- Clear sign of what the film is about. First thing on screen says “Summit Entertainment Presents” which is a common code and convention of all films, informing us of who the film is bought to us by.

The main actors names are on screen with a black background and the less important actors have a scene behind it. This is done because the main actors are most important.

Clueless• Clueless starts off with a rock pop song typically listened to by teenagers in the nineties (which was also when the

film was made) so it goes well with the chick-flick teen movie.

• We first find out that this film is bought to us by Paramount Picture then A Bright title of the film is seen and is central. This obviously shows the audience what the film is called and the bright colours tell us that this film will also be quite a 'mature for your age' type of film. After the titles are shown, an overhead crane shot is used to show the car of teenage girls in wealthy clothing which tells us it is most likely about popular, rich teenagers.

• Sevral short hand held shots are used to represent how quickly everything is done and how busy the characters are. Many Close Up (CU) shots are used on body parts such as legs to represent that they are meant to be seen as attractive or sexual objects in the film.

• There is a slight fade out of music and a voice over from the main character talking about being 'normal' after the audience has just seen how hectic her life is which juxtaposes what she is saying.

• We learn in the opening that the girl lives with her father and looks after him as though she is his mother. A two shot is used for this scene to represent the fact that they are close to each other.

• We see right from the beginning that the main female character is quite naive to people who don't have money and has a rather good life but still sees herself as normal. For this reason, it could make the audience think that at some point it could get her into trouble.

Opening scene starts with an overhead crane shot showing a people in a car which instantly represents popularity.

A walking shot is then used and shows that the girl in the frame is shopping somewhere that looks quite upper class. The opening scenes establish the topics of this film; popularity and wealth.

A wide shot is taken from behind the man which once again expresses the topic of weath. Then in the next movement (picture on the right) shows the maid on a lower level but still showing things such as the grand staircase in the shot to show that his wealth gives him power and status over everyone.

Drive

• A slow aerial shot is used to establish the fact that this film is set in the City. The aerial shot shows the city lights at night which tells us the (while knowing it is a action crime thriller film) that the most dramatic events will happen during the night scenes.

• We see 'Ryan Gosling' at the beginning of the titles in a pink handwriting font which is central of the frame over the aerial shot. Usually most titles are in white or black which breaks the codes and conventions of film titles. This teaches us not to predict what occurs.

• A low angle shot is then used with rule of thirds which also shows the car. The low angle shot shows that throughout the film, Ryan Goslings character has a high status and that the film is based around his car or that it is a key theme.

• The titles continue after we are told that this film is 'Drive' and we see the names of the other actors. An over the shoulder shot is used to show the character driving around and the names of other actors are shown on the right side of the frame. This teaches us that he is on a journey, and that on this journey he will meet these people (the ones in the titles)

• There is not much dialogue, just several shots which indicate what the film is about.

• An overhead zoom out aerial shot is used when the car is moving which is a clear sign that this is an action film. Then a cross over shot is used, to go back to the shot of the character driving which signifies that driving is a big part of the film.

• A medium shot that follows the subject is used from behind the character and we see a gold scorpion on the characters back. This tells the audience that it could potentially be his' trademark'

• A low shot is used when the character is dropping off the bag. This shows that not only does he have a constant high status, but that he is also involved in a form of criminal acts.

• Then we go back to a zoom out aerial shot of the road which shows us that he is always on the road

An aerial shot is used to establish the fact that that the City is where the setting of this film is going to be. Specifically New York City. The shot shows a lot of the city to show the audience just how huge it is. The aerial shot is shown at night which is semiotics to show that there is a beauty to the city but that there is also a darkness to it.

A low angle is used here to show that the subject on screen has a high status. The fact that he is also in his car shows that his car is one of the things that make him so powerful. A low angle shot is used quite a few times to stress the fact that he might not just have high status at the beginning of the film but throughout the whole film.

A medium shot of the man entering a lift that also uses the rule of thirds. This shot shows the mans jacket which has a gold scorpion on the back which will make the audience think that this will be his logo and will be seen again in the story. The lighting comes from the lift in the centre of the shot and makes the audience think that an important event will take place and may change the course of the narrative.