Description of Target Audience

Identifying the target audience is essential when basing an opening sequence around them. Below is a detailed description of our target audience.

Age - 15+
Gender - Female/Male
Social Demographic - Working class
Occupation - Student at college/university
Hobbies and interests - a standard day to day female/male who enjoys socialising and going out with friends in their spare time. Attending parties on the weekends and regularly going to the cinema. They are dedicated and enthusiastic in terms of their education and work hard to achieve their full potential at college/university. She/he would be interested in regular stuff such as going to concerts, keeping up-to-date with fashion etc.
Style - She/he likes to follow trend in order to ‘fit in’ and they take care of their appearance.
Personality - An outgoing, bubbly character who has a good sense of humor, but can also be serious when convenient. They are friendly, and doesn’t judge a book by its cover. While accepting everyone is different, they will be conscious of situations around them, refusing to be influenced by other peoples decision making. She/he would be quite sensible and aware of the line between what is right and wrong when acting upon things.
Media Grouping - Their favourite films will be jumpy, crime orientated films. She/he will watch these to receive a ‘buzz’ but at the same time to understand the actions that are/are not acceptable in a modern society. They will however watch ordinary television, soaps such as hollyoaks but also entertaining television like x-factor.
What audience theory’s will the film offer? - The Uses and Gratifications Theory is an approach to understand why people seek out specific media content for different purposes. Blumler & Katz suggested that a text must ‘gratify an audience’s needs’. This could include a series of different needs such as offering the audience information, entertainment, education, social interaction and personal identity.
 

Information: Satisfying curiosity and general interest, for self-education which they could gain a sense of security through knowledge.
Entertainment: To escape, or be diverted from problems. To get emotional release or just general enjoyment.
Education: To gain a better understanding into situations, realising the bigger picture.
Social Interaction: Gaining an insight into circumstances of others, to gain a sense of their own belonging. To find a basis for conversation, while having a substitute for real-life companionship.
Personal Identity: To look at different models of behaviour, which would enable them to gain an insight into themselves. But also to find a reinforcement for personal values.


Our opening sequence and film plan on offering these needs to our target audience. They will gain information and self education on how to behave and react in certain situations. This will help them to look at the bigger picture. By watching a situation which somebody else is in, they will be able to relate this to themselves and think about what they would do given they were the character. This would stimulate interaction, as a basis for conversation. I think the main need that our film will promote is personal identity. This is because they will be able to look at different models of behaviour (the old man thinking it is acceptable to keep the young girl) and again relate this to the behaviour of themselves. They will learn what is acceptable and what is wrong, this will reinforce their personal values.

Group Opening Sequence

1) Exactly what is going to happen on screen.
- The camera will be focusing on the table and its arrangement.
- About 7 seconds into the scene, the mans hand will gradually come down to light the final candle.
- The camera doesn’t move, the hand is just now in view.
- He picks up the knife and fork which is laying also on the table, and we see his arm elevate away from the camera.
- The music starts to play at this moment and the credits fade on top of the scene.
- The camera steadily moves up (over the shoulder shot) to the man. At first the camera is shaky but it soon finds its place and is at a standstill.
- The man starts to have a conversation and the camera is looking directly at him.
- He then goes to pick up a bottle of wine wish is centered likewise on the table, the camera follows his arm down the table and afterwards a fade-in-fade-out is used.

The location changes

- The camera is still focusing on him pouring the wine and the music is still playing.
- The man looks exactly at the camera, and then it comes off the tripod and is a handheld shot.
- It slowly rises and more credits are shown on top of the scene.
- The camera finally pans around the setting until it is eventually in contact with the girl who is tied up.
- The final credits are shown as the scene slowly fades out.

2) Sketches and rough ideas of how the credits are going to look.

Although the font cannot be exact to how it is going to be shown on screen, here are some rough drawings of how we want the credits to come into sight. We want an old-fashioned style font and have already agreed, a similar one to ‘Zapfino’ from LiveType will be appropriate. This is because we wanted our film to be based not in the present tense, as mid to late 1900s is the time era our film revolves around. The credits will be faded onto the scene and be a bold black font, we thought this would have a better effect, as the audience will be watching throughout, instead of a cut away to the text being shown on a blank screen. As a result the tense atmosphere will be present throughout. 

3) Ideas for the music/sound.
It is essential that we get the music and the sound of the opening sequence precise; referring back to our questionnaires the majority of the people thought the music was the most imperative factor. Although we haven’t decided on the specific song we are going to use throughout the duration, we have agreed that the music is going to be slow, comforting and fairly soft. This is because we want the audience to have a reverse feeling to what is actually happening on screen, so when the location does transform it is unexpected, meaning narrative enigma will be created a lot more effectively.  

Group Film Idea

Title of Film:

Genre of the Film: crime/thriller.

Age rating of the film: 15+

Characters:

There will be two main characters throughout the film, one of these being Jane. She is a white 15-16-year-old girl who is from a standard working class background. She is currently studying her a-levels at school, with a part time job being a waitress in a neighbouring restaurant. She has a strong personality, but also a very reserved person when put in a situation she is not familiar with. Her role within our opening sequence is restricted but effective. She is merely going to be tied up to a chair, with tape around her mouth. She will be struggling and this is the point in which the opening sequence will bring to a close.

The other key character will be an old man. His identity is kept quiet, and as his name isn’t revealed. He is also white, and around 45 but from a middle class background. He doesn’t socialise and lives by himself in his house; the audience has no real perceptive about his background, or of his family. However it is evident that he enjoys playing chess and frequently reads. During the opening sequence he will be sitting at the dinner table, smartly dressed and acting like he is enjoying himself. We are kept in the dark about his profession, but as he is always dressed in branded suits we assume he has a well-paid job.

Myself or a group members little sister will be acting out Jane, as there is no talking involved it will be a reasonably simple role to play. A close family friend, who is enthusiastic to act will play the old man, however we have considered a second actor in case he fails to do so.

Location/Setting:

Our opening sequence will consist of two different locations. The first scene will be in a spacious dining room, where a small circular table will be centred. There will be picture frames in the background, and the romantic atmosphere will be set. However, the second setting will be either in a forest or a deserted building, this is where the whole mood of the opening sequence will transform for the audience.

Storyline:

Beginning – the opening sequence will start with Jane and the man having a ‘loving’ meal, the audience will presume that the genre of this film is associated around romance. However, when he pours the wine into a glass, there is a black out and the location changes. The man is still having dinner with someone, although with the music playing the mood of the scene changes. From the beginning a chain of narrative enigma is created, the audience doesn’t understand why the man is smartly dressed, set out a table full of roses, is having a conversation and acting so natural in a situation which is visibly disturbing.

Middle – the main part of the storyline will be revolved around the girl and her escaping. As she doesn’t remember how or why she has been held captive she starts to get flashbacks of where she was when it happened. From this she starts to remember how she got here, and following that how she is going to get out. 

 

End – The girl manages to escape after a long period of being tied up. He then goes onto have a panic attack as he realises what he has actually done. Once the girl is freed she carries on running and running, she eventually gets to her house to find nobody home and the door left wide open.

Inital Idea

Initial Ideas on Prezi

These are my initial ideas for a film. I have included three genres I am interested in, being the completely opposite side of the spectrum I chose crime/horror and then a romance film. I have thought about the characters, props, locations and the colours associated with each of these genres, hoping to develop my ideas at a later stage for just one of these genres.

Representation In Films

Representation is typically how an individual or group is shown to the audience in a media text. Many groups of people are represented and portrayed in a stereotypical way depending on what the genre of the film is. As I am focusing on crime and thriller I am going to discuss the representation of various social groups. This is to conclude whether the films of this particular genre represent these groups mostly in a conventionally stereotypical way or an unconventional, non stereotypical way.


1) GENDER
The way each gender is represented in a crime/thriller is generally the same, and therefore a conventional stereotype. The male is portrayed as the more dominant and powerful figure, being the protagonist and saving the victim, or controversially being the antagonistic, and committing the offense. Likewise, women are also represented as a stereotype. They are typically seen as weak, powerless and submissive and as a result of this used as the victim in most storylines.
Camera:
- Low-Angle shots used when filming the man. This is to show his authority and control over the situation, to make the victim look up at him, to seem small and weak.
- Long shots used to keep the male on screen to show intimidation or relief (if the hero).
- High-Angle shot when filming the women, meaning the man is looking down on her. This is to show her weakness and vulnerability.
Editing:
- Jump cuts of the male’s actions to disorientate the viewer and make the audience feel uneasy.
- Shot/Reverse shot to show the difference and the relationship between the two genders, usually used when the man is rescuing the women to show her relief.
Sound:
- Non-diegetic sound of music to create and build up the tension when setting the scene.
- High dynamic range which is dramatic when an offense is being committed.
Mis-en-scene:
- The men tends to either be dressed in smart attire to make them look more masculine, or when committing the crime in baggy, dirty clothes. Whereas the women will usually have little clothing on to show their helplessness, or a lot of clothing making it tougher for them to run free.
- The man will have some sort of weapon with them using it against someone or in defence.

However, although this is the general association of these two genders, it isn’t rare for the roles to be switched; depending on what outcome the director wants the audience to receive from their film, the roles could be swapped.


2) ETHNIC GROUPS
Ethnic groups in crime/thrillers usually play a set role. White people are portrayed as the ‘good’ and clever group of people, whereas ethnic minorities are shown to be the opposite. ‘Black’ and ‘Asian’ people are made to be inferior, and generally slaves or hard workers. These groups of people often end up to be the character that dies first as they are not fit in society.

Camera:
- High and low angle shots to show the different positions of the ethnic groups.
- Close ups to involve the audience more and help them to observe the reactions and emotions of the characters.
- Pan shot to show the relationship between the character and the location.
Editing:
- Cross cutting to show what one ethnic group is doing compared to the other.
- Short take of ethnic minorities to show their lack of importance.
Sound:
- Depending on the group of people being shown, and what is going on music related to their culture may be played, this is to give the audience a better understanding into their background. For example from Mission Impossible 4, the scene in India plays Indian music.
- The tone of voice and the accent of the character will differ when each character is speaking.
Mis-en-scene:
- The costumes of the characters will be stereotypical, Asian people will usually wear robes and saris, whereas a typical white person will be smartly dressed.

On the other hand, the roles could be overturned and ethnic minorities could be the more controlling and forceful character.


3) DIFFERENT CLASSES The way different classes are portrayed is very dependent on the storyline. Working class people are near enough always underrepresented, they are frequently shown to be poor, criminals, aggressive and lazy. The upper class characters in a crime/thriller usually find themselves getting out of trouble fortunately for them, because of their money. This is the opposite of the working class who are prepared to battle and escape for survival. Due to this, the stereotypes on different classes are stereotypical.

Camera:
- Low angle shots for the working class characters, and a high angle shot to show the upper classes ability over them.
- Close ups of both classes, so the audience can observe their reactions and emotions.
- Two person shot to illustrate the dissimilarities between the classes.
- Loose frame to show the working class people being isolated/unimportant.
Editing:
- Likely to have some non-continuity editing to ‘throw’ the audience.
- Slow motion for an emotional effect of the working class.
Sound:
- It isn’t as easy to illustrate somebody’s class with the sound, however loud non-diegetic music could be played for an upper class person, whereas diegetic music could be played for the working class, for example if they are hovering.
Mis-en-scene:
- Upper class people will be wearing branded suits. If a women, possibly a lot of jewellery consisting of diamonds. A man is likely to wear a big hefty watch to highlight his prosperity.
- Working class people will be dressed in casual attire; there day to day clothing will not detach them from one another.
- While the upper class people, may be waving around money, the working class people will merely keep themselves to themselves and if need be, a weapon is more probable to be used through them.


4) DIFFERENT AGES
In thriller films, children are often represented as being vulnerable, innocent, and reliant on others for care. Teenagers are represented as being aggressive, lazy, criminals and involved in violent behaviour. Opposite to this, adults are often represented as being clever, hard working and reliable. Whereas old people are shown to be weak, stupid, frequently confused and also reliant on others. Typically, the adult is the one to either commit the crime or be the protagonist. The other age groups are usually portrayed as the weaker, less central characters and therefore the victims.
Camera:
- Low angle shots for children, teenagers and old people to show they are inferior to regular adults and therefore the victim.
- Subjective filming to show what is happening through any of these characters eyes.
Editing:
- Jump cuts to represent the younger ages to be disorientated.
- Shot reverse shot to see the way the different ages react to one another.
- Non-continuity if little children/old people are involved as they are generally muddled about things.
Sound:
- Depending on the age range starring the type of music will vary.
- Children may speak in a high pitch voice.
- The tone of the adult’s voice may make the other characters feel patronised.
Mis-en-scene:
- The children will be dressed in clothing with Disney characters on; teenagers may be dressed in casual attire, adults in smarter clothing and the old people in baggy jumpers.
- The teenager’s hair and make up may be done to perfection, unless they are involved in a type of crime.

Below is a Prezzi giving examples of the points made above, from characters in current crime/thriller films:

Representation In Films on Prezi

Analysis of the Opening Sequence of The Departed

THE DEPARTED

When an opening sequence is long winded, the audience will be inclined to take a lengthy time in actually responding to the film. I believe an efficient opening sequence will get straight to the point and although it won’t give away to the storyline to the audience it will give them a strong idea about the genre - feeding them enough information to keep them entertained. However, narrative enigma is also important and unanswered questions are one of the main reasons why somebody will watch on into a film. Therefore, I believe by analysing the opening sequence of ‘The Departed’ the desired examples and techniques which make a good opening sequence will be used.

When trying to give off a certain mood to the audience, the music which is used needs to be suitable and well thought out. It is effortless to place any music in an opening sequence and still have an effect, but when the director wants the audience to really connect and get involved in the film, the music they choose needs to be strategic. To begin the sequence, instant ambient noises of birds are heard, this could be deceptive for the audience, as typically the sound of birds singing are generally associated with a peaceful and tranquil feeling. However, after watching on a little further the diegetic sound of the gangs fighting transforms the mood and gives a prompt insight to what the genre is related to. Gang crime? At 23 seconds, a man starts to speak. The first line he says is “I don’t want to be a product of the environment, I want the environment to be a product of me” even though this does make sense, it can be rather confusing for the audience to comprehend, this leads them to subconsciously watch on in order to unravel more of his character. At 43 seconds fast, upbeat music starts to play. The man is still speaking at this point, but at 1:48 the music gets louder and becomes more apparent. Another line he later says is “20 years after an Irishman couldn’t get a f***ing job, we had presidency, may rest in peace.. That’s what the n****** don’t realise”. This is quite unexpected, and gives the audience a further opinion of this character, he seems quite aggressive and heated and because the audience doesn’t realise why, narrative enigma is successfully created resulting in them wanting to find out more. The music itself doesn’t have a great impact on stating the genre, but the representation of the mans character and what he says makes it fairly obvious.

The camera movements, shots and angles are also imperative when analysing an opening sequence. The establishing shot to start the scene off, pretty much sums the mood of the audience. It shows that the people there do not respect their environment, and due to the fact a handheld shot is used when filming the boys fighting, makes the audience feel like they are truly involved in the scene. It is evident the person filming the fight is doing so for entertainment purposes, and this accurately sets out the genre for the audience, resulting in the dominant ideologies of the film being negative. When the camera cuts away to the school children on the bus, a close up is used of the young girls cheerful face, this could propose that she is familiar with situations like this, and for her it has become a norm. Finally, a quick pan is used to show a cluster of people on one side of the road (we make the assumption they are rioters) and a group of policeman on the other. This illustrates the opposing relationship between the two, and the representation of the two different set of characters this film is going to propose. Below are screen shots of points made.

The editing of this clip additionally plays a part in making the opening sequence of this film successful. The director uses a chain of short takes, this speeds up the action making it seem extra dramatic for the audience. However, at 1:00 when the man is talking, a long take is used, this could make the audience feel uncomfortable, and leave them on edge thinking something unexpected is going to happen. There is a cross cut of the fighting and the man (in his policeman uniform) waving on traffic at the opening , this could confuse the audience, again creating narrative enigma. Due to the fact the opening sequence doesn’t run in a linear narrative, there will be many questions that the audience will want to be answered, this will result in them watching on further. Below are screenshots of the editing of this sequence.











I personally think the mis-en-scene doesn’t reveal a lot about the genre of the film, though some hints are given. The main colours used are yellows, blacks and grays - these colours are associated with danger but this is not enough alone to give the audience a dominant ideology, or represent the characters well. We see that the man is dressed in a policeman’s uniform, this does indicate his occupation but still doesn’t tell us enough about him as a character. However, when we do get further into the clip and there is a long take of the man is talking, low key lighting is used. This has a virtuous effect, and successfully makes the character seem shady, dangerous and untrustworthy. Here are screenshots to demonstrate the low key lighting.











In conclusion, more through the sound, camera and editing the genre is clearly stated, resulting in the dominant ideologies revolving around crime. The representation of the main character is put across well, but conversely the conventional elements (the credits at the beginning) do not have a great effect in regards to the genre. The audience may not distinguish how to react when the sequence first starts, but certainly towards the end they have made their own assumptions on what they think.

Analysis of the Opening Sequence of Se7en

SE7EN

When analysing and looking into any type of genre, the audience will subconsciously make an instantaneous judgement of the film in hand and typically a first impression of the opening sequence is what determines whether they will watch on or predominately switch off. It is thus vital that the director from the very beginning uses the accurate techniques which will then create the well needed atmosphere to keep the audience entertained. I have therefore chosen to analyse the opening sequence of the well-known film 'Se7en'. I will discuss the diverse techniques used by the director and from this I will pick out the positives, but also the negatives of this specific sequence.

When determining the genre and giving off the suitable mood to the audience it is key that the music used is specific. To start of the sequence there is a loud bang, similarly to the sound of thunder. This is used to give an instant hint to the audience that the film in hand is one of a tense composition. A drum is played during the course of the sequence and although at times it is not as apparent, it is continuously followed by a screeching noise. 33 seconds into the sequence a hand is writing into a notebook, however the lettering is blurred so we are unable to see what is being written, but just by the sound effect of the screeching of the pen being pushed down the character is represented clearly. It is obvious for whatever reason they are heated, irritated and strong-minded with what they are trying to succeed. Moving further on in the sequence a number of diverse and random noises are put in place, this gives off an uneasy atmosphere to the audience and although they feel out of place and on edge they still want to watch on to unravel the story, meaning the director has effectively created narrative enigma through the assortment of the music and sound effects. At 1:36 the speed and the volume of the music increases, the drum bang is now more noticeable, and the audience’s expectation of a sudden jump isn’t fulfilled, which could create confusion. This pace is followed through until 2:01 where we eventually hear someone speak, “you can be closer to God” is the last thing we hear of the opening sequence, and this again creates anticipation and leaves unanswered questions from the audience.

The camera also holds a significant role in occupying the intentional mood of the audience. From the beginning to the closing stages there are continuous short takes, due to the fact not one thing is in focus for a long time creates an uncomfortable and nervous feeling of what is going to happen, but for the simple fact it is entertaining (the Uses and Gratifications theory) the audience will keep themselves involved. The majority of each of these shots are close ups, this draws the viewer closer and involves them further in what is happening. This would encourage them to observe in greater detail the build of up tension making them feel quite claustrophobic in the situation. When the camera cuts away regularly in order for the credits to show, it switches from being deadly still to a handheld shot. This could create uncertainty for the audience, and leave them wondering who is holding the camera, and for what reason? Below are screen shots of the cameras movements, shots and angles to demonstrate the points made above.

I personally think that the editing plays the most imperative part in making the opening sequence of this film successful. From as early as 11 seconds the director decides to use a jump cut, and the metal object which is being held is shown in changed angles with altered lighting, to deliberately disorientate the viewer. During the course of the sequence non continuity editing is persistently used, this stops the clip from feeling like ‘real life’ for the viewer, which would make them even more anxious as they realise that anything could happen throughout this film.  As the opening sequence goes further, superimposition is used when the character is writing. This increases the amount of information the audience needs to absorb, and with the slow motion of the page turning they can actually focus on what is happening, helping them to delve more into the storyline. Finally, the visual effect of the credits draws the audience’s attention to them, emphasising again the suspension of the film following. Below are screenshots of the various editing techniques the director has used for the opening sequence.

The mis-en-scene doesn’t reveal a lot about the character, or what the intentions behind their actions are, but it does drop in some hints throughout relating to the storyline. We gain no real idea of the location, or the whereabouts of this person, as the shots are not continuous, but this has a positive effect as the amount of suspension created builds. When looking more thoroughly it is clear that the props which are used all hold a meaningful purpose as they are generally revolved round sharp objects e.g. needles and scissors. This would clarify to the audience the genre of the film, and understandably their response would be fearful. Dark colours are used, and a sepia theme to suggest that perhaps this isn’t a day-to-day regular film, with a sudden spurge of red appearing on the screen blood, danger and anger are associated and the viewer gets the assumption a murder is going to take place. Below are screen shots of the mis-en-scene of the opening sequence.

In conclusion particularly through the sound, camera, editing and mis-en-scene the genre is evidently shown, also the clear dominant ideologies ultimately revolve around death. The representations of the characters are limited but this is down to the directors’ decision to keep the audience guessing about the further storyline. The conventional elements such as the music and credits help the audience to feel involved, but most vitally the amount of narrative enigma created is just enough for the audience - resulting in them watching on.

Analysis of the Opening Sequence of Love Actually

LOVE ACTUALLY

For a better quality version - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMScPVO4rLw&feature=related

A strong opening sequence would immediately demonstrate and clearly lay out the genre of the film in hand, meaning a good director would successfully be able to undertake this action within the first two minutes of a sequence. Taking this into consideration, I am therefore going to analyse the opening sequence of the film 'Love Actually' and come to a conclusion as to whether I personally think the director has set the story out successfully, but at the same time created a well needed and significant chain of narrative enigma.  

When starting the sequence, soft non-diegetic music is played which indicates the storyline following by giving off a tranquil feeling to the audience. The same music is played throughout the sequence and due to the fact the pace and tone stays identical, a comforting approach is once again handed to the audience, this instantly knocks out the possibility of the film being orientated around a thriller or crime. 30 seconds into the clip, a man starts to talk; everything he says is associated with love and this, for the audience, is the final clarification of the genre in hand which is obviously romance. "When the planes hit the twin towers, as far as I know none of the people on board were messages of hate or revenge, they were all messages of love, if you look for it I've got a sneaky feeling you'll realise that actually love is all around." This is one of the lines which the speaker reads, and for the reason that this was a very sensitive issue to be raised for a large number of the population we can tell that the film is going to be somewhat emotional, and evidently as real life as possible which makes the audience want to watch on to identify with themselves personally, referring to the uses and gratification theory.

Secondly, the camera movement holds a great influence in demonstrating the genre. By specefically choosing a long shot of two people hugging to open the scene, we promptly gain an insight of the devoted and affectionate relationship between the two. The camera then cuts away a number of times to show a variety of diverse people in equivalent situations, all hugging and kissing one another. This is the point in which the camera zooms in to the blissful faces of these girlfriends,boyfriends,friends,mothers and fathers which generates narrative enigma with curiosity of why these people are so contented and warm within this situation. This similarily links in with the representation of the characters, as the stereotypical American lifestyle is portrayed as being joyful and greatful of those around them, which is reinstated in the screen shots of the people appreciating life below.  

The editing in this opening sequence is relatively limited, a soft focus is set in place while the people are hugging, and this is used to distort the sight of the other people on show, as a deliberative way to draw the attention of the viewers to the definite situation. Conventional elements are used, and as previously discussed; the placid music which is played from the very beginning continuously gives off a serene feeling, which is a purposeful intention in what the director wishes the audience to feel. Close to the finish of the opening sequence the title of the film displays, as the speaker reads out “Love actually is all around” the words form at the bottom of the screen. The font used is white Arial, but with intent the editing of the single word ‘is’ in red. This is clearly prepared to highlight the dominant ideology of the film but similarly to signify the importance of love, making the audience think about the love they embrace themselves, watching on to see a different perspective. Below are screen shots of the editing of the title.

Fourthly, the mis-en-scene is just as essential for the sequence. By the decision to film at Heathrow Airport, a location which is common to most, the audience can relate to the film a lot more which makes it true to life. Due to the fact real life people were used in actual circumstances, their blissful facial expressions stand out, leading to a genuine reaction of the audience. The characters are therefore represented well as the emotions being shown are completely existent and believable. The normal ‘plain’ day to day clothing also re-instates this. Below are screen shots backing up the points which I have made.

Successfully, the director feeds enough information to the audience for them to grasp that the dominant ideology relates strongly to love, but smartly holds back enough of the storyline to create narrative enigma which leaves them wanting to watch on. The genre of the film is signified in the sequence through the embedding of the sound, camera, editing and mis-en-scene. The audiences reception towards this is positive, and by the time the opening sequence is concluding the audience is already engaged in the film wanting to carry on.

Conventions Of Opening Sequences

When analysing different opening sequences, it has become clear that the conventions used for different genres are totally different. I chose to analyse a crime/horror opening sequence from the film 'The Number 23' and as a contrast to this a romantic/comedy sequence from 'Forrest Gump'. Below I am going to discuss the different conventions used for each.

The Number 23





When watching the opening sequence of 'The Number 23' it is clear from the very beginning of the sequence the repetitiveness of this number is a statement deliberately used to get the audience thinking. This successfully creates instant narrative enigma and as planned, the audience is left in the dark wondering what the significance and the importance of this specific number is. Intentionally, it makes the audience want to watch on so they are able to elaborate and slowly unravel the connotation of the number '23'. Below are screenshots of the repetitive use of this number in this sequence.

The titles and the credits that are shown in the opening sequence are merged together. As '23' doesn't move from the screen, the credits are featured around it. The writing is deliberately fragmented and dark red which suggests it has been handwritten, and although we never get an introduction to the characters, we quickly make an assumption that whoever and for whatever reason, they are the ones who are writing, again creating narrative enigma. Here are examples of the titles and credits being shown together.

However, I personally think the music used in this sequence is the most effective convention. At the beginning a build up of a long drained noise, which varies in sound is used. This warns the audience that a loud bang is approaching, which encourages them to prepare for it. For example at 13 seconds, the sudden sound of a camera shocks the audience, as although there are expectations of one coming up, the feeling on not knowing when makes them jump. The use of a drum throughout gives the sequence an ongoing beat, and the piano which is used at 20 seconds creates an uneasy atmosphere. As we get further into the sequence the music gets faster and louder, this again makes us think something unexpected is going to come around, highlighting the genre of the film.


Forrest Gump




When watching the opening sequence of 'Forrest Gump' only to a certain extent is narrative enigma created. Throughout the sequence the camera focuses on a feather which is floating around the screen - until eventually it lands on a mans foot, in which he then picks up and puts in his brief case. As an audience we gain an understanding that there is a hidden connotation behind this feather, and for this simple reason it makes us want to watch on so we can figure out what the importance and the significance of it actually is.

Even before the film starts the institutional logo indicates the genre. Many romantic films are presented by ‘paramount pictures’ so that is an instant hint as to what the film is going to encounter. As the sequence goes on, all the credits gradually appear . Basic white font is used and this creates a feeling of relaxation towards the film, which is opposite to the anxiety feeling one would get watching ’The Number 23’. Below are the screen shots of the institutional logo, but also the credits which are shown throughout the sequence.

Finally, even though the music is non-diegetic the soft and gentle approach it has makes the audience feel part of the scene. It slowly comes in and gradually gets louder which is obviously used to reaffirm the genre of this film. As an audience we don't feel threatened (as some may feel towards The Number 23) but instead calm with the situation. A piano and a violin are the main instruments that are played, and due to the fact they are associated with 'peace' and 'love' it works well with this opening sequence.

In conclusion, after analysing the conventions of opening sequences in two completely different genres. I think it is safe to say, the music, credits/titles, institutional logo and the narrative enigma used for each varies significantly.