B- Inspiration for our film opening- Form

Vantage point (Travis, 2008)- Thriller

After watching the opening credits for the film Vantage point i have become very inspired to create a similar opening for our film. My reasons for this are as followed...

• The montage of shots works well as an effective way to create a sense of a flash back or a dream. This is what we hope to achieve in our film opening as the main part will be a flash back therefore starting the film at disequilibrium.

• The montage is created through the use of floating shapes which also spells out the title of the film, i also think that this is really effective and something in which we could consider as part of our opening.

• After looking closely at the way this is done i can see that they have used layers when editing to be able to fade the pictures and writing as one, this could be achievable within our film opening.

• The colour was used in this opening is orange although this would not follow the narrative and feel of our opening we could use the same technique just using a grey or purple colour wash to connote darkness.

• The text used in the opening of this is shown with what looks like a laser from a gun shining over the top in order to connote the idea of a crime/ a gun which follows the conventions of thriller, although i do not feel that this would work in our film opening as there are no guns involved.

• Overall i feel that this is a really inspirational and effective clip and i would defiantly like to incorporate something like this into our film opening.

B- Film Noir and Analysis of Double Indemnity,1944.

What is Film Noir?

Film Noir is a cinematic term used to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas. There are four key areas present in a film noir which make them identifiable...


1. Themes- Usually emphasising moral ambiguity, sexual motivation and is described as being essentially pessimistic.

2. Visual techniques- For example, low key lighting, Venetian blind effect, facial obstruction by darkness, dutch angles (where the camera is placed at an angle to the side), low angle shots, wide angle lenses as well as mirror shots or shots through glass.


3. Narrative- Story lines of film noirs usually contain flashbacks, flash forwards as well as voice over narration which is mostly characterised by the protagonist. The main focus is usually crime, heists or cons, double crosses and false accusations and suspicions.


4. Characters- Film noirs usually feature morally flawed, misunderstood characters. There are also stock characters such as detectives, police, jealous husbands and femme fatales.


What is a femme fatale?

A femme fatale is usually filmed for her sexuality and introductory shots usually show her catching the hero's gaze. She is often presented as empowered but usually dies at the end. Iconography used to represent femme fatales are usually, cigarettes, jewellery and guns to show 'Unnatural phallic power' (Here is a picture of a 'typical' femme fatal)

The 'Male Gaze'- 1973

Laura Mulvey's theory-

• She looked at the classic period of Hollywood film especially at femme fatales.
• She noticed that the audience cannot help but be forced to looked at women in an objectified way.
• This is enforced through the costume, usually a dress and the camera angles, usually from low angles which automatically make the audience see her in a subjective way.
• The 'male gaze' when the woman's presence creates a reaction within the audience is another way which reinforces the way in which women are objectified.

An example of a film Noir
Double Indemnity, (Billy Wilder,1944)
The film double indemnity is shown as a film noir through the characteristics portrayed in...

Themes-

• The main theme of the film opening is crime drama, this is shown through the narrative being based around a murder.
• Sexual motivation is also portrayed in the opening, the femme fatales opening shot being a low angle shot shows this and is used to sexualise her.
• Another theme in this film is that of moral ambiguity in that the femme fatale is married yet seeing another man which would be frowned upon in this time period.
• (Here is a still image of the femme fatales opening shot, it is low angle and the lighting is positioned on her in order to sexualise her)

Visual Techniques-

• Techniques such as night for night shooting to show the city and street lights. (Here is an example of night for night shooting)

• Facial obstruction by darkness for example in the lift, this creates a sense of mystery teamed with the low key lighting to enhance this sense of mystery.
  
• Shadowing is another technique used, whilst in the lift also. As well as dramatic shadows to reinforce tension and bring the action to life.
• The figure of the man is also shown through the frosted glass of the office which is another characteristic of film noir.
  
• Venetian blind shots are another typical convention of film noirs that is shown in this film ( Here is an example of the effect)

• There are also lots of static shots which reflects on the time period this film was shot in. This gives a sense of seriousness as the camera is held so still.

Narrative

• This film follows conventions of a film Noir, the use of flash backs to show the story are an example of something which is stereotypical to film Noirs, this keeps the audience interested and makes the film seem more interesting and real.
• There is also the use of a voice over from the protagonist to convey the conventions of a film noir, this makes the audience feel more involved in the narrative and gives a clear description of the story.
• The narrative of this film is focused on crime and cons as they are trying to con the femme fatales husband. This narrative also follows the conventions of a film noir.

Characters

• The characters in this film are conventional to film noir's, in the opening there is a stock character which is the femme fatale, we can see she is a femme fatal by the use of low angle shots as well as her costume and non verbal language.
• There is also a main character who also follows the conventions of a film noir, he is a typical man of the time as well as being a sales/ collector man which follows the conventions of a typical character for film noirs.
• His use of non verbal language also represents this, he is confident especially around the femme fatale showing the gender roles as well as following typical conventions of the main character of a film noir.

After watching this opening i don't feel that we can incorporate much into our film opening although i do like the Venetian blind effect and feel that this could work well within our so is something i am going to look in to further.

Group - 'Prezi' presentation on Thriller genre

Copy of Genre- Thriller on Prezi

B- Analysing an opening sequence- Thriller- The Bourne Supremacy

The Bourne Supremacy (Greengrass, 2004)





Genre

• The genre of this film is thriller, it follows the general conventions for an opening of a thriller.
• Therefore the audiences generic expectations of the text are fulfilled through the opening sequence, an example of this is through the use of montage for the opening which creates the effect of a dream. This then creates a sense of the unknown for the audience meeting the generic expectations.
• The text also conforms to the characteristics of the genre for example using stock locations, characters and ideological props and costumes.
  

Film Language


The use of mise en scene and characters in this sequence convey the stereotypical opening of a thriller...

• The costume the man is wearing which is a green vest, connotes the idea of being in the army which brings the action in his dream to life. This grabs the audience's attention and starts to bring a sense of uncertainty to life therefore following the conventions of genre. (Here is a picture to show the costume of the two characters)
  

• The physical appearance of the actors also follows the conventions of thrillers, the leading character is a man who's appearance is masculine and he is physically toned therefore creating the impression of a super hero like character. The stock character is a thin blond woman therefore following stereotypes of the protagonists beautiful woman.
• The lighting of the scene is dark, therefore creating tension and a sense of unknown in order to engage the audience.
• The location of the opening is a beach therefore a stock location for a thriller, this is because it creates a sense of isolation making the characters vulnerable.
  
  
• The font used in the opening credits also follows the conventions of a thriller, as the man is usually the lead character the narrative is based around him. The font is bold and in capitals therefore masculine and direct such as the character. (Here is an example of the font from the DVD case)
  

The use of camera and editing also convey the stereotypical opening of a thriller...

• The use of a handi cam to film the action creates a sense of disjointment and little control. This also positions the audience within the action and therefore creates a thrill and a sense of excitement.
• The use of a CU shot to show the man in bed positions the audience with him, therefore allowing them to feel more involved in the action as well as following the typical conventions of a thriller.
• Editing helps to anchor the camera shots and conform to the genre of thriller. Quick cuts are used to connote the action and create a sense of excitement to the audience. The cuts also portray the idea of fragments of memory which is what the film is based around. The cuts contain iconography specific for thrillers, a phone, photographs, disjointed faces and conversations as well as a room number '646'. This gives the audience the impression of being given clues grabbing their attention and involving them in the clip.
  
• The blurred images are also a technique used in thrillers, in this opening it is used to create a sense of being unstable and unable to focus. The slow motion shots are also used for this effect.
  

Sound is also used in the opening to anchor the images...

• Sound effects are used in the opening such as a gun shot which is conventional to a thriller. This creates a feeling of fear for the audience causing them to be interested in the film.
• The sound track for the opening of the film is layered this creates a very atmospheric feeling and anchors the images shown in the opening.
• The sound of waves when the characters are outside connotes their location being the beach and shows how isolated they are as there is no other background noise.
  

Narrative

• The narrative of this film opening is structured in a linear form and is a conventional opening, therefore it creates an enigma which is one of the main aims for a thriller. The opening also consists of character exposition after the montage positioned the audience with the characters straight away.
  
• The audience are very much positioned with the male lead character in this narrative this is shown by the use of CU to show him and the fact that he is prevalent in the narrative.
  
• Therefore the audience are able to identify with the character as they are predominantly posited with him therefore can relate to how he feels. Although the technique of alienation is employed with the montage at the beginning as it is very much disjointed and hard to follow causing the audience to question what is going on.
• The tension within the narrative is maintained and employed by the use of dark lighting, montage and blurred images which are all anchored by the use of sound effects such as the gun.
  

Representation and ideology

• The use of gender is the main distinction within the narrative. The ideology that men are stronger and women are caring and supportive of the male character is prevalent in this narrative.
  
• This is shown by the non verbal language of the woman who is very comforting and listens to all the mans problems. This is compared to him who is leading the narrative and which the storyline is based around.
  
• The non verbal language form the male character also connotes the idea of a hero as he is very muscular and follows the stereotypical image of a hero. He is also protective of the woman as he rubs her face. (Here is a still shot of the male character showing his masculine appearance)
• The woman's physical appearance then reinforces this as she is the stereotypical woman, she is blonde good looking and supportive of them man. The gender roles are reinforced through this clip.
  
• Therefore this clip follows the dominant set of beliefs in Hollywood films of this genre.

Media audiences

• The target audience for this film is mainly men although it could also appeal to a family as the certificate is aged twelve therefore parents and children could enjoy it.
  
  
• The possible audience reading for the text are either that it is conventional to thrillers and follows gender role stereotypes or that it does not follow a conventional opening to a thriller as it does not have such a spooky feel as some.
  
  
• Personally i read the text as being very conventional to the genre of thriller for all the reason's that i have stated before. The text to me comes across as being very stereotypical of a Hollywood film in that the male has the main role and the female is a stock character. This may be influenced by my gender as a female i would be more likely to pic up of factors such as this. My age may also influence my reading into the text as a 12 year old may read less into this fact where as an older female may read more into the the
  

Institutional context

• This film has stars in such as Matt Damon and Julia Stiles in order to draw in a wider audience as fans of the stars may watch the film simply because they are in it. Also to gain more publicity as the stars will bring press coverage.

(Here is a picture of the main star Matt Damon)

• The star depends on the budget for the film for example this films budget was $75 million therefore they can afford to use big stars as actors.
• This film was distributed by a industrial company, Universal studios therefore is an industrial film meaning they are at an advantage in terms of advertising and funding. It also gives more opportunity to appeal to a wider audience and ensure that the budget is commensurate with the target audience.
• As the film was distributed by Universal which is an industrial company they were able to advertise and market the film well, this is evident through the gross revenue of $288,500,217 made by the film.
  

Overall...


This film opening has inspired our opening as i think that the used of blurred images and montage to create the sense of a dream work really well and is an effective way to open a film. From this i have thought of some images we could use within a montage for our opening such as a balloon to portray a feeling of isolation and childhood memory's.

B- Our chosen genre and sub genre- Psychological thriller film opening examples.

Memento (Nolan, 2000)- Psychological thriller

The film-

Memento chronicles two separate stories of Leonard, an ex-insurance investigator who can no longer build new memories, as he attempts to find the murderer of his wife, which is the last thing he remembers. One story line movies forward in time while the other tells the story backwards revealing more each time. This is not just a thrilling film – it is a clever film that really does leave you guessing all the way through.
Here is a clip of the opening of the film...

The opening-

• Form- The form of the opening is linear but we start at disequilibrium, we are shown character exposition from the hand showing us the photograph, which we never see and the MS of the man taking the photographs face from a low angle therefore creating a sense of power from him. The opening is conventional to that of a thriller, this is reflected by the relevant use of iconography such as a photo, a bullet, blood and the glasses of the dead man. These all reinforce the genre creating an even bigger thrill to the audience. Here is a still shot of the photograph shot...

Analysis of techniques-

Sound-

• The sound used in the opening is mainly non diegetic music which is slow and almost jarring in order to get into the audiences head and build a sense of tension, therefore grabbing the audiences attention and being a successful film opening. We can then here the diegetic sound of the photo being flapped in order to be developed, this places the audience right in the action therefore bringing it to life.
  
• We then here more diegetic sounds which are turned up in order to be recognised by the audience. These sounds are the bullet rolling and the glasses from the dead man falling to the floor reinforcing the idea that the action is happening now.
  
• We then here the sweeping sound of the action we saw being reversed and the gun being fired again, this is a shock to the audience which then creates a thrill and grabs their attention.
  
• A voice over then starts which is teamed with the use of images reflecting what is being said in order to help the audience visualise the words and feel part of the film. The tone of voice is quiet and he talks slowly in order to create a sense of seriousness therefore following the stereotypical thriller opening.

Mise en scene-

• The set in the first shot looks like grass this connotes the idea that it could be anywhere and creates a stronger sense of thrill to the audience as they know they could be there.
• The color red in the picture connotes blood automatically giving the audience the impression something bad is going on and grabbing their attention.
• Mans costume is a simple brown coat and shirt giving the audience a sense of realism and positioning the audience within the action.
• The makeup used of the man has blood on his face, suggests to the audience that this is the antagonist and he is the first character they see.
• Prop of the camera reflect on the picture which suggested blood showing the audience that somethings going on and grabbing their attention.
  
• The bullet and the glasses reflect the idea of a murder scene which would be shocking to the audience therefore gives them a thrill. Here's a screen shot of the glasses...

• The Stock location of a dark room is used in order to connote the genre being a thriller, blood is on the walls and floor and the place looks dark and dirty. This suggests that something bad is going on and its not a nice place to be.

Camera/ editing-

• The first shot is a CU of the mans hand with the picture, this connotes the idea that the use of photographs may be a big part of the film and forces the audience to look at the picture.
• There is then a cut to the camera and a ped up of the man showing character exposition and showing a CU of his face in order to try and make the audience feel more vulnerable.
• The quick cuts used to show the blood on the floor, bullet and glasses are used to give the audience a feeling of not being in control and everything happening so fast therefore creating a thrill.
• The use of camera angles to show the power between the two characters also reinforces the idea of an antagonist and a protagonist, the antagonist is shown using low angles in order to give a sense of his power and the protagonist is shot from a high angle giving the impression of him being weak and vulnerable. Here is a still shot of the antagonist from a low angle...

Ideas for our opening-

I personally think that the idea of the action then a reverse to lead into the film works really well and is an effective opening to a film. The use of generic conventions to represent a thriller in this film opening have also given me some inspiration for our film opening, the iconography such as the picture and the glasses work really well to grab the audiences attention. I also like the idea of using character exposition to open the film as i fell it works well within the thriller genre and especially in the sub genre of psychological thriller. Here is a screen shot of the reverse in action that i think works really well...

feedback #1

Well done - excellent use of the blog as a collaborative tool. Your initial research demonstrates technical knowledge in its observations. You must now make sure that you have a clear analysis of the conventions of the sub-genre of thriller so that you can begin your focused research into openings.

AP A History Of Thriller

The genre of thriller bases itself upon the use of suspense, tension and excitement to grip it's audiences.

"Why is it that we both fear and enjoy being frightened? Alfred Hitchcock always thought it started in a mother's arms, when she says 'Boo!' to her child, who is first startled and then delighted. In the cinema, this sensation might have originated in the first public screenings of films by the Lumière brothers in 1895. "A train appears on the screen," wrote Maxim Gorky in a memorable newspaper review. "It speeds straight at you - watch out! It seems as though it will plunge into the darkness in which you sit..." Some audiences did indeed flee the theatres in terror, but they must have returned, because the cinema had soon established itself as the most popular mass medium of the early twentieth century."

BFI Screenonline - Neil Synyard

So, from the latter of the 19th century thriller made it's debut and has increasingly ingrained itself as a popular genre in our society.

Top 10 Thriller Films
(according to data collected by IMDb)

1. Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
2. Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010)
3. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
4. Goodfellas (Martin Scorcese, 1990)
5. Fight Club (David Fincher, 1999)
6. Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
7. Pshyco (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
8. The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer, 1995)
9. The Silence Of The Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991)
10. Se7en (David Fncher, 1995)

As you can see, some of the favourite thrillers of all time have been directed by the same people.

• Christopher Nolan is an acclaimed British director of thrillers, including 'Inception' and 'The Dark Knight' his other most famous and popular films are 'Memento' and 'Insomnia' - also excellent thrillers.
• Alfred Hitchcock a.k.a 'The Master of Suspense' was also a British director and ultimately the best thriller director of his time with classics such as 'Pshyco' , 'Vertigo' and 'The Birds'.

B- Form, style and generic conventions of film openings

What do we mean by form, style and generic conventions?
• Form is the structure of a film opening, therefore what is included. This can be created in different ways and started from any of the points below...
• Equilibrium- Disequilibrium- Resolution (Everything is fine and normal) (Something awful happens) (Its resolved)

• Style refers to the directors style of opening for example quirky uses of graphics
• Generic conventions are the features of a film which enable them to be placed in a certain genre

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (Wright,2010)- Teen

Form- The form of this opening is linear as it has a conventional structure. There is a voice over establishing the character exposition as well as the location.


Style- The style of this film opening has many inter textual references, for example the comic book effect relating it to the comic and the writing at the very start of the clip in the sky such as star wars text was shown. The overall style in this represents a post modern effect which matches the genre of teen.


Generic conventions- The generic conventions is this clip very much represent the idea of a teen comedy therefore appealing to the targeted audience. It follows the stock plot of a boy bringing a new girlfriend into the friendship group but also has a modernistic twist, he has left school. The themes in this also convey that of the genre, they are relationships, friendship and finding your way in life.

Amityville Horror (Douglas,2005)- Horror

Form- The form of this film is linear, first we are shown text saying based on a true story followed by the date which is a conventional opening to a horror. The action then goes to the family who get murdered, therefore the film starts at disequilibrium as it shows the awful mass murder which is the 'awful' part of action.

Style- The style of the film is conventional, the dark lighting, flashing lights and sound of bad weather all follow the typical opening of a horror film.

Generic conventions- The generic conventions follow the trend for horror films. First the antagonist (man who shoots the family) is shown then the audience is positioned with the protagonist's who are the family. Things such as llighting and the horrible weather also follow the generic conventions. Another thing to do this is the house, which is a stock location and is very isolated. The iconography used in the opening also follows the horror genre generic conventions as god and the super natural and brought to the audiences attention.
Seven (Fincher, 1995)- Thriller

• Form- The form of this opening is linear, we are first shown the opening credits followed by character exposition (the antagonist) this is a typical opening of a thriller as it automatically creates a sense of fear to the audience who are being positioned near the antagonist.
• Style- The style of the film opening is typical of a thriller, we do not see the antagonist's face therefore creating a sense of the 'unknown' which automatically creates tension and fear. The dull lighting and dark colours also follow the stereotypical conventions of a film opening.
• Generic conventions- The generic conventions in this film opening follow a very typical thriller film opening. This is through the used of dark lighting to convey a feeling of the unknown and the iconography used, such as needles and books. The characters also help to follow typical conventions as the audience is exposed to the antagonist therefore creating a thrill and grabbing their attention straight away.

AP Genre possibilities

So, having looked at various films and their openings from the teen, horror and thriller genre, what do you think we should do? I am swaying towards thriller because I think we could be really creative and original and i also think i've got some great ideas for what we could incorporate into a thriller story. :)

B- Thriller genre- Iconography

What is a genre?


Genre is a type of category of a media product, in which the distinctive features are recognisable through being repeated over time. Although the codes and conventions are flexible and dynamic.


The genre of thriller has different sub sections for example...

• Psychological thriller Eg- 'Seven' (Fincher, 1995)

• Crime thriller Eg- 'Law abiding citizen' (Gray, 2009)

• Political thriller Eg- 'State of play' (Macdonald, 2009)
  

Conventional characters to thriller genre


- Antagonist (Usually a man)- to follow stereotypical gender ideology that men are more powerful than women. In thrillers this character is usually UNidentified or has a dark persona.


-Protagonist- usually the lead character seen as the 'hero', both men and women play this role. This person is usually chased but not killed by the antagonist.


-Stock characters- played by both men and women, are characters that take a secondary role; in thrillers are usually friends/ family of the main character.


Typical locations and settings for thrillers-


-Woods- to give a feeling of isolation and no source of help.


-Houses- are one stock location used in order to connote the idea of privacy and the character is usually alone.



-Underground locations- in order to again give the impression of being secluded and making the characters seem more vulnerable. The setting can also reflect this as underground locations are usually dark and dirty reinforcing the idea that dark means something bad will happen.


Iconography of thrillers-


Objects and icons such as finger prints, guns, knifes, bibles, an item of jewelery, photographs and weapons are all used in the genre of thriller as recognisable iconography. This is what the audience unconsciously expect to see in a thriller.


Suitable costume-



- Costumes in thrillers are usually, dark (black) cloaks or general clothing for the antagonist.


-Bright colours for the protagonist which also usually wear casual every day clothes in order to create a sense of realism.


- In some cases when the protagonist is a woman she may be wearing revealing clothes in order to sexualise her and make her seem more vulnerable.


- The stock characters generally wear casual every day clothes again giving the impression of realism and making it seem more of a thrill knowing that it could happen to anyone. It also creates a connection between the audience and the film as they can really experience the emotions the characters feel. Therefore reinforcing the genre of thriller.


Lighting and colour-


- The lighting is usually dark in order to create a sense of the 'unknown' increasing the thrill of the film. This then grabs the audiences attention and makes them feel nervous about what is ahead of them.


-The colours used in thrillers are also typically dark and dull, mainly black, brown and grey. This connotes the idea of the 'dark side' and dark colours creating the idea of evil and bad things.

AP The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)

According to Entertainment Weekly, The Shining is the 9th scariest film ever. I personally find the open sequence terrifying as it is even though nothing scary actually happens. The Shining is about a family who become temporary landlords of a hotel in the middle of the mountains in Colorado. In their isolation, the family experience strange goings on. The father becomes possessed by a spirit who makes him believe that his family need to be 'corrected', this teamed with cabin fever basically drives the father to insanity and the film is based upon his crazed actions. An iconic moment in this film is when the father has his head through a door with a manic smile on his face, this mirrors other horror films of today and of yesteryear which uses this manic smile as a key element in the horror genre.

Camera

• The sequence starts with a panning long shot of a lake which then moves into a canted angle and soars over an empty landscape (apart from trees). Firstly, this sets an unsettling mood because the audience realises that the film is going to take place in the middle of nowhere which connotes a feeling of being trapped. We then see a bird's eye view tracking shot following a car through the rockies, this reinforces the idea that they are trapped and creates a sense of powerlessness  and vulnerbaility.

AP Lord Of War (Andrew Niccol, 2005)

Lord Of War is a thriller about an arms dealer who struggles with the morality of his work whilst he is being chased by an International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) agent.

Sound

• The first line of the song ('There's something happening in here...') that plays over this opening sequence is perfect for a film of this thriller genre, in fact the whole song conveys an element of mystery and the unknown. However, the tone and beat of the song isn't foreboding, but quite rhythmic and peppy.    

Camera

• In this sequence, there is a track-in to the factory mechanics. Immediately this positions us with a manufactured bullet, and we continue to follow this bullet's life throughout the opening sequence. This establishes a preconception that the film is war related, this is also supported by the fact that the film is in fact called 'Lord of War'.
  

Mise-en-scene

• The prevalent location of this sequence is that of a factory that the audience establishes to specialise in making bullets. This further reinforces the idea of the film being associated with war. 
• This shot in particular shows the bullet that we are positioned with in amongst other bullets. The lighting is dark and the general tint of the factory sequence is blue and quite dark. This is typical of a thriller film, it connotes suspense and a dark, creepy undertone to the film.

• An obvious use of iconography here is the use of soldiers holding guns which moreover implies that this is a war thriller because he is a soldier and guns are typical props used in the thriller genre. In addition to this, the location has changed to what appears to be a harbour. This slightly changes the tone of mood because the bright light and blue sky contrasts with the previous darkness of the factory.

Editing

• This sequence is continuity edited and has an interesting effect on the audience as we follow the life of a bullet.

  

B- Teen Research- 'The Breakfast Club' film opening.

'The Breakfast Club' (Hughes, 1985)

• The first shot in the opening of the film is a quote which is then 'smashed' and glass shatters fly across the screen, this reinforces gender stereotypes that teenagers are violent and disruptive. There are then symbolic icons of a typical school such as a MS of the clock followed by a shot of a corridor and a canteen. These set the scene and reinforce the icons of typical school scenes.
  
• The characters in the opening of the film are each given a separate identity firstly the voice over talks about the brain, which is teamed with a shot of a classroom. Here is a still shot of the character which this is reference to...

• Next the voice over talks about the criminal which is put with a shot of graffiti on lockers, again reinforcing the idea that teenagers are disruptive and introducing the characters. Here is a still image of the character of the 'criminal' as you can see from the cigarette in his hand he is following the typical stereotype of a 'criminal'

• There is also a shot of a prom queen poster and the voice over talks about a princess this reinforces the popular girl stereotype and introduces the audience to the idea of that type of character. The shot below shows the jock and the princess characters.

• Then the voice over talks about a jock, the image to represent this is trophies and a sports locker room which captures the audiences attention and follows the iconic genre images.

• The character exposition is then reinforced further by the imagery of the parents cars and the conversations within the cars. The princess character turns up with her dad in an expensive car, her dad is wearing a burberry scarf to connote their wealth and they are both well spoken. She also does not think that she deserves the punishment, this is shown through her dialogue.
• The next character turns up in an older car which seems cramped and small inside connoting the idea of them being less wealthy. His mum it lecturing him and telling him he deserves it which is juxtaposed to the previous character showing their differences.
• The next car is a 4x4 which connotes a manly and big car this reflects on the character who is dressed in a baseball jacket portraying the idea of a 'Jock'. The dialogue between the boy and his father also reinforces this idea as they seem to be having a man to man talk.
• The next two characters to turn up are ignored by their parents one is dropped off but ignored and the other walks in on his own. These again reinforce the stereotypes of different teenagers. Here is a picture of all the characters in which you can see their different styles...

• Overall the different characters in the opening of the clip represent the different stereotypes of teenagers therefore following the genre of teen drama.

AP Superbad (Greg Mottola, 2007)

Superbad is a popular teen comedy. The archetypal characters of a teen film, in this case, 'nerds' are shown through the use of movement in this opening sequence. Two boys are shown dancing to some upbeat funk music, this establishes a light-hearted and fun mood for the film, particularly seeing as their dancing is not very good. The awkwardness of their dancing appeals to a teenage audience because they can relate to the boys attempt at being 'cool'.
In addition to this the colour scheme is mainly with bold, simple primary and secondary colours (blue, orange, green etc.) which further supports it's teenage genre because it is attractive to the younger eye. The font is rounded and is also included in the simple colour scheme.

B- The Ring - Psychological Horror

'The Ring' (Verbinski, 2002)

• This film is a psychological horror and is an American remake of the Japanese horror 'Ringu' (Nakata,1998)

• The opening of the film reflects this genre and camera techniques are used to do this, The first is of a track in of a large house which is in the dark to give a sense of spookiness and connotes the idea of bad things happening at night which follows the typical stereotype of horror films. Another camera technique used to portray this is the MS of the girls face when she realises that she has watched the film, her reaction is of sheer fear which then creates a strong impact on the audience increasing the horror factor of the film. Here is a still image to show this...

• The use of editing also reflects the genre of the film, quick cuts are used to create tension and keep the audience on the edge of their seat. An example of this is the cut form the outside of the house into the bedroom. The use of shot reaction shot is also used to connote the theme of horror and again is used to keep the audience interested and highlight the facial expressions shown by the two girls. Here is a still image to show the cut into the bedroom..

• Sound creates a massive impact on the opening of the film, the sound of rain is prevalent in the very beginning of the film which connotes the idea of the typical horror film. This automatically gives the audience a feeling of anticipation and draws their attention to the location. The sound of the TV and the 'fuzz' from the disturbance also creates a sense of fear and makes the audience feel part of the action therefore creating an even scarier experience.

• The use of Mise en scene also connotes this idea, the location is large spacious giving the impression of isolation. The lighting is dark following the stereotypical horror movie lighting and creating a scary effect. The costume of the girls also follows the stereotypical clothing of girls which reinforces the fear of the audience and makes it seem real. The characters being female also creates a stronger sense of fear as women are stereotypically weaker than men therefore helpless.

• The narrative is slow and quiet reinforcing the idea of something spooky happening, when the girl is telling the story is an example of this. This is used to draw in the audience and again create a sense of horror.

B-First Research Task

Research of film openings

Seven (David Fincher, 1995) - Thriller

The credits are shown over the picture behind throughout the opening of this film. The main focus of the picture is an old book in which somebody is writing, smudging and highlighting the main words. It then changes to a pair of dirty hands binding the book using a needle this is used to create a sense of thrill and fear as a needle could be used as a weapon. In addition to this, it cuts to a 'Dark Room' in which photographs are being developed this again creates a sense of thrill. These connote a sense of mystery and grab the audience's attention as well as setting the scene. I think that this opening is really interesting and really captures the viewers attention making them want to see more. The idea of the book and smudging of the words creates a sense of anticipation and suggests something weird is going on therefore creating a thrill. Dorian Gray (Oliver Parker, 2009) - Thriller

The opening starts with a blurred face that slowly focuses into 'Ben Barnes' the main characters face, his expression is stern and his eyes seem to be staring straight into the camera. This creates a sense of fear and is used to intimidate the audience. The clip then cuts to the man stabbing a body and being covered in blood which is used to shock the audience and give an insight as to what the characters about. Next we see the body being thrown off a bridge at a dark location to reinforce the thrill of the film. To then lead into the main film we see the man boarding a train what seems to be the next morning, this creates a stronger sense of thrill as he is then portrayed as just a normal person. The main use of sound in the opening of this film is thunder and wind this connotes the idea of fear and creates a stronger impact on the audience therefore making them want to watch on.

White Noise (Geoffrey Sax, 2005) - Thriller/Horror


The first image in the opening of the film is a quotation by Thomas Edison, and the definition of an 'EVP' when the dead try to communicate with loved ones via radio static and television snow. I think that this is a really interesting way to start a film and works well in creating a sense of realism therefore grabs the audiences attention and makes the whole film seem more of a thrill. The following images are distorted and fuzzy like television snow which is teamed with the sound of radio static and white noise reinforcing the definition of 'EVP' and again making the film seem real. This also creates the idea of the dead trying to communicate which adds a sense of fear and anticipation to the film opening.