Analysing an Opening Scene to a Film - use this to analyse an action, horror and romance opening

Analysing an Opening Scene to a film

•       Sound:

•       Sound is very important within a ………………….to help set the tone mood and atmosphere.

•       Non-diegetic music is used to reflect the narrative events such as………………………

•       Diegetic sound is used in the dialogue between the characters……………….it reveals………………..this shows that the genre is………………………..

•      Camera Angles:

•      A close-up shot is used to show the character……….

•      An establishing shot is used of the setting………………this establishes where the narrative is going to take place.

•      A two shot is used of the characters……………………to show their relationship……………

•      A tracking shot follows the action………to reveal to the audience…….this engages them because…………………

 

•      Characters:

•      The main characters are introduced in the opening scene when…………….the audience recognises that they are the main characters through the use of the dialogue/camera shots/events that they are involved in.

 

•      Narrative Events:

•      The opening scene features certain narrative events such as…………..these conform to the genre as other openings such as……………………….feature similar events.

•      Enigma codes:

•      Enigma codes are used to tease the audience and engage them in the narrative so they carry on watching the film. Certain enigmas are included in the opening such as puzzles about………….questions are left unanswered about………………….

•      The audience want to know what will happen to the character……………………

•      Symbolic codes are shown in the mise-en-scene:

•      In the opening the audience would identify symbols such as…..these could make the audience feel/think………………………..

•      Props/ costumes:

•      The audience can see that the character is wearing………….this shows that…….this is typical of the genre because……………..

•      Props are featured such as………………this is typical of the genre as it shows…………..

•      Clichés:

•      Noticeable clichés are used in the opening scene such as…………….this engages the audience as they recognise these features and can predict what is going to happen in the narrative.

A guide to finishing your blogs

List the Codes and Conventions of the Romance Genre - try and add a comment about the sound and typical camera angles

1.Audience: Aimed at female audience.

2.12 – 15 certificate to maximise the audience

3.A typical romance genre would include sexuality, status, gender and relationships.

4.Narrative: falling in love, dating, kissing

5.Often a voiceover is used to introduce the love theme

6.Main characters are introduced – attractive female and male

7.Setting: they are normally set in an urban environment, a beach, a school etc, places where a chance encounter would happen.

8.When a romance film opens, it is likely that much of the setting will be shown to the audience from the use of establishing shots and wide shots showing characters and much of the setting and area behind them.

Research Targets

Revisit the email you received to your student account before half-term. You need to evidence further evidence of research in order to achieve your target grade. Lots of areas of study from this term have not been addressed in your blogging. Anlyse these opneing using key terminology! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCTgUq6hzUk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOLgGA-Yqc8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xPYHygck6o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OYBEquZ_j0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLeix0ZYSCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JfS90u-1g8

My Favorite Director

My Favorite Director

While there’re many Directors who I am willing to give as my overall favourite director there is one that in my opinion has shone through them all. With films such as Planet of the Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland tucked safely under his belt, you can be rest assured that he will be remaining at my top spot despite having some stiff competition from the likes of Ron Howard (The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons) and Peter Jackson (Lord of the rings and Hobbit), some of the film industries greats. But as I say my top spot has been claimed by Mr. Tim Burton.

One of the reasons that I believe that he has been so successful is because he understands how to put together a film. He was interested in film from a young age; he loved to spend time in his garden making short films with his friends, probably his most famous childhood film was “Stalk of the Celery Monster” witch he produced and stared in at the age of 13 in the shed at the bottom of his garden.

Tim has directed some of my all-time favourite films to watch. Personally I believe that his stop motion films are the best as no one else is performing in his particular style, Nick Park (director of Wallace and Grommet) is another great animator but his style is a little too … cushy.

If I do a horror themed film then I will make sure that I include elements of Tim Burton’s work in my film as I believe it gives a great effect to the film

Romance cliches

Romance cliches

Prince Charming – A lot of romantic film s peruse the idea that there is someone for everyone, but not just that there is someone, but that there is only one person for you out of there.

Suddenly getting ditched at the altar – This is a regally used way of showing what the characters truly want in their heads even when it hasn’t been clear to them.

Male lead has a best friend – The male lead will have a mate that when things don’t go quite according to plan he will return to and his mate will tell him to get back up and try again as he somehow knows that those two are meant for each other. This character then quite often gets left behind by his friend as the pair ride off into the sunset.

Musical montage – All romance film at some point will show a montage as the audience doesn’t need to see all the planning behind events such as them deciding to go to a theme parks and instead we can just watch them on a few rides then instantly change to a silhouette of them walking towards the sea as the sun disappears they will share a kiss to show everyone that they are together.Printable version

Action Genre spiderdiagram

Initial idea for film

Genera:               Action

Characters:         Main protagonist – Agent Alex Mackles

Good boss – Jack May

Main bad guy – Ex-Agent Sam Jones

Bad boss – Mia Butcher

First Agent – Tim Foster

Setting:                Bridge – Opening scene

                                London– briefing

                                Woods – Hanging of Sam Jones’s previous ‘job’ and other half of briefing scene

The film will open with Tim running down Rookery Hill dressed in a casual suit and jeans clutching a piece of paper, where he hit a trip wire, visible to the camera after a focus pull from Tim, and fall to the floor. He will turn round then in the middle of the road where he has just run and there will be Sam Jones standing holding a silenced pistol pointed to the floor dressed in a smart black suit and trousers. He will walk to Tim and ask “Where you going Tim?” in a way that the audience knows he doesn’t need to be answered. Tim will plea for a bit before being stabbed and thrown off the bridge; for this shot I will be using a high angled wide shot to show how open the murder is and show that the act is insignificant as there is very little power placed on Tim, camera cuts to a low angled close up shot to show vast difference between the people we have seen.

Scene Ends

Next scene is of Alex and Jack discussing the problem of Sam, a folder will be produced and looked through momentarily. The convocation will then continue along the lines of “he must be stopped” “you’re the only one who knows him well enough” “go and get him” and so on… This scene will take place over the phone with Alex on a hand held phone wearing casual cloths whilst walking his dog through a park and Jack using an ear piece wearing a suit sitting behind a computer at an iconic London location with two pages open, on one page is a file on Sam the other a file on Alex. Across Sam’s file is a red word ROGUE and across Alex’s file it will read SUSPICIOUS in similar font and colour. Camera shows a close up of the picture and the shot fades and changes into Alex walking along, still with his dog, in the same manner as the photo this indisputably shows that this character is the same as the file. The phone convocation ends. Alex looks to his dog “looks like there giving us another chance boy”. Scene cuts back to Jack when someone approaches him ask if that was a wise he replies “he’s all we’ve got”.

Film Ends

Horror genre Spidadiagram