https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqQVyAiBHBI
Directed
by Nancy Meyers
Film
Company Universal Studios
Genre
Romantic Comedy
Demographics
Female 18-24 ABC1
“Romantic comedy films are films with
light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centred on romantic ideals such as
that true love are able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie,
play, or television program about a love story that ends happily".” - Google
Definitions
The
Holiday opening sequence first presents a soundtrack
to us rather than a visual piece. The music comes across as romantic and
light-hearted which is what this genre is all about, it also foreshadows the
future narrative of the film. The use of music could create the interpretation
that music is a key element within the film. This creates a sense of realism as
this is an aspect many people every day relate to, it makes the film seem more
realistic from the very start and therefore an audience can engage with
characters more thorough. From the darkness of the black screen appears a long
take of a nature shot, this includes a blurred shot of a tree or some form of
flora, this could represent the film being focused in the countryside, a light
and natural setting, which is something different from a usual romantic comedy
in a large popular city.
The opening scene then displays the credits of all involved in The Holiday,
the font is a classical lettering and is white. The typography could be the
signifier that the film is light hearted and comical, as we know from watching
the film, it is set around Christmas time, this could show a link between the
white print and the snow, this makes it appealing to the target audience as it
seems classy and romantic. The colour white signifies innocence and purity, we
can also associate white with love due to wedding dresses and flowers etc.
Therefore the font makes constant links with the genre. The typography is small
when presenting something and then increases for the name of whom it is; this
is also in capital letters so it stands out to an audience as some feel it’s
important to know who is in the film and who else was included during the process.
The credits fade in and out gently as the scene continues, the is an elegant
movement, the elegance of this could reflect the romance in the film.
The development of the scene
then shows a loved up couple jumping into each other’s arms and having a passionate
kiss. This reflects the romance of the genre, however some may see it as a
cheesy action and therefore find it humorous, and the genre aims to include
both amorousness and comedy, so by including this in the opening scene it
achieves both laughter and cheeriness immediately. The fact that romance is a
key element immediately within the titles, could depict that this is what the
narrative revolves around, this entices the audience as they begin to get the
feel of the film and decide whether or not they are interested. The camerawork
then implies it is zooming out which reveals that what we thought was the movie
was actually part of the narrative
and we are watching a film within a film, this is misleading yet comical, the
film maintains the comedy throughout the opening scene.
The use of camerawork
implies that the genre is a romantic comedy, for example as the extract
progresses a mid-shot of the male
protagonist is close enough to show his face which in turn shows the emotion of
how he feels and how important the something is that he is looking at. A match
on action shot then shows a mid-shot of the girl which in turn implies to the
audience this is what he is looking at. The emotion on both their faces and the
non-diegetic sound increasing the tempo suggests that the two are in love; this
is definite when we see the use of a close up to show the holding of hands,
this is a stereotypical gesture that usually represents love and affection, it
can also be associated with safety, which could demonstrate them looking after
each other. The camera focuses more on
the male than the female, this may denote that he is more of a romantic that
the woman, the facial expressions he portrays show how he feels about her. The
fact the male also has more screen time could suggest that he is more of an
importance to the film than his partner, this could reveal parts of the story
line as it leaves our imaginations wondering.
The editing
within the opening credits stays minimal, this could be so that we focus more
on the narrative than the actual editing its self. We see long takes of the
musical screen which may imply that the romance of a song is a key element
throughout The Holiday. The use of jump cuts show an audience who, who is
talking to, this is an easy and subtle way to portray a conversation. As the
woman leaves the camera edits back to the man, we notice that he begins to play
the keyboard again, as he does this the soundtrack picks up and the crescendo
increasing, the use of this editing leaves the audience with the preferred
meaning that he is happy, as music can be known as the signifier of happiness
due to it being a way to express yourself.
The use of a voice over equally presents the genre to us. A voice over
is stereotypical to a fairy-tale, this could show the audience that there is
going to be a happy ending. With the genre being a romantic comedy this is
something we want as the outcome, the voice over narrates over the top of a
romantic scene which could foreshadow the happenings of the film later one.
The use of mise
en scene shows the social status of the characters and how they live. It
looks as if they are in a home therefore to hold all of the editing and musical
equipment in a house shows the wealth of the protagonists. The house also looks
very modern with glass windows surrounding them and displaying the nature
around the, again this shows that they are well-off, this could signify they
are hard working well deserved people. Their clothing however shows no signs of
wealth and seems very normal, this could connote them as being very down to
earth people, this is important for the audience as its easier to relate and
engage with them. The lighting seems natural and light throughout; this gives
the realism to the viewers like they are actually there.
1. Shutter
island
Directed
by Martin Scorsese
Film
Company Paramount Pictures
Genre
Thriller
Demographics
Male 25-39 ABC1
“Thriller is a genre
of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension,
and excitement as its main elements. Thrillers heavily stimulate the
viewer's moods, giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened
expectation, uncertainty, surprise,
anxiety and terror.” – Google
Definitions
The mise en scene within Shutter Island is very significant within as
it enables the audience to engage further with the nature of the film as well
as work out some parts of what the narrative could involve. The lighting
surrounded with mise ne scene exposes the darkness within, the lighting is very
minimal during the first shot and the only source of light we can see is from a
small caged window at the end of the gory corridor. This could signify a prison
as there are elements that can be associated with a prison, for example the
caged window shows the entrapment. Furthermore the low key lighting could also
be a link with a prison, as when in prison you are alienated from everyone and
everything, the word loneliness having dark, connotations uncovers this more. The
extract progresses and we can see a large spiral staircase which in itself is
an optical illusion as the camera spirals with it. The use of this emphasises
how large and tall the building is, it again relates to the idea of a prison as
there seems to be no way of escaping, again the visual effect of the camera
spiralling creates a deception of madness; this could be a sign of the nature
of the film. Along with the staircase there are many other props that are an
imperative concept within, for example the large black gates that are being
opened and closed by what look like prison guards, this confirms the prison
like environment and engrosses with the audience more. Black is a key colour
and usually signifies death or danger; this may be a way of telling the
audience parts of the storyline. A dark room appears which contains different
sorts of handcuffs and chains, connecting with the theme of prison-like, this
gives the audience some sort of idea of what Shutter Island encloses.
The soundtrack behind the scene immediately
evokes a suspended response from the audience has the tempo and tension within
it is exposed immediately, the use of different musical instruments and beats
work effectively together and have viewers on the edge of their seats uneasy of
what is to happen next. A loud crash of music is played to show the difference
in scenes throughout the extract of Shutter Island, this is a unique way of
doing so as it builds tension and also leaves the audience wondering for
example, this piece of music is played when the gates are being opened, it
builds anticipation of what is behind them. The soundtrack maintains building
suspension all the way through and does this particularly well during a darkly lit
scene where it is interrupted by a match being lit. The music takes dramatic
turn which when the striking light appears, the powerful editing in this scene
leaves the audience anxious and troubled. Towards the end
of the opening titles, the music picks up and fades and continues to do this
when the title appears in and out, this gives the illusion something is going
to happen, which is something we commonly see in a thriller film as the
intention is to thrill, the music is a such an important concept that ensures
this.
The editing
is very fast pace in the extract, the shots cut from one to the other very fast
which is a jumpy effect, the fastness usually isn’t something used within a
thriller because It doesn’t tend to
build tension, however this really does and does it well. The faster the
editing becomes the less aware of the surroundings of the film, this could
evoke an uneasy feel from the audience as nobody really knows what to expect.
The use of
camerawork within provokes the audience’s intentions of what the film is
based on. Throughout the clip we do not see an actual character it seems as
though the opening scene is through a point of view shot sometimes, for example
when we watch the gates open it seems as though we are watching it through someone
else eye. The fact that a protagonist is not shown during the extract leaves
the viewers feeling confused as to why someone is hiding their identity to us,
a hidden identity is a typical convention used within the thriller genre and
therefore this extract fits the stereotypical elements. Close ups of hands and
feet show the audience that something is being concealed, this gives a feel of
uncertainty as there are no clues as to why they are displaying this to us and
not anything else. A scene then changed to a close shot of a room engulfed with
flames, adding danger and tension.
3. Casino
Royale
Directed
by Martin Campbell
Film
Company Columbia
Pictures
Genre
Thriller, Adventure, Action
Demographics
Male 25-39 ABC1
“Thriller is a genre
of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension,
and excitement as its main elements. Thrillers heavily stimulate the
viewer's moods, giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened
expectation, uncertainty, surprise,
anxiety and terror.” – Google Definitions
The mise en scene within this film opening
suggest different interpretations of the narrative and characters, the use of
colour connotations help to demonstrate this. For example the opening scene
begins with James bond and what we perceive to be a villain both using guns as
props. James bond wears a black tuxedo which may show that he is the more
powerful and dominating protagonist, this may also suggest that he is the hero
as he wears the stereotypical clothing of one. The black shows a harsh contrast
with the white wall he stands in front of, this could show the use of binary opposites as black may connote death
however white could connote purity, this leaves the audience guessing which is
a typical convention within the thriller genre, another example of binary
opposites displayed may the protagonist and antagonist, this again is a usual
convention used mainly in Thriller. We then become introduced to the colour
red, this colour demonstrates its connotations as blood pours down our screen, this
suggest danger and death, it reveals anticipation from the audience and leaves
viewers on the edges pf their seats as we don’t know what to expect next, the
many different colours used entice an audience in further. The opening
progresses and the narrative starts become more ambiguous, we see an array of
suit symbols, this implies that the narrative may be based around poker and the
lexis ‘casino’ in the title could confirm this to us. The use of cards and
poker chips are a key thread throughout, this helps show the nature of the film
and allows the audience to
become aware of the surroundings; it can also
reveal whether or not the audience should continue watching. The opening
usually enables the characters to become more vivid and helps the audience engage
with them more, whoever this opening challenges this as we see that a lot of
the identities within the film are hidden with silhouettes or codes, this is the thriller genre and James Bond films so we would expect nothing less. The different patterns and colours used as we watch further could suggest that the film is set in a different country than to England, this leaves a feel of excitement as we don’t know what to expect, and the uncertainty is unnerving. Each convention of mise en scene is used effectively and therefore it is suspenseful, as a thriller should be.
The camerawork in the Casino Royale equally evokes tension as we see
the different shots take place they leave different meanings, which heightens
the suspense. a shot that is focussed on a lot in the opening is the long shot,
we never really see anything less than all of Bonds body, feet to head, this
could be done to demonstrate his full power, the fact that he gets more screen
time perceives him to be more important than the other characters, an
interpretation of this could be that he is undefeatable. As the opening is
mainly cartoon work Bond is not a key feature in it like we would expect
however towards the end we can see a close up of him which displays his facial
expressions, he looks powerful and worthy of a fight, the audience may feel
excited about this yet uneasy on who he is to be against. There are also some
close ups of just his hands, this could show that he is hiding his identity
sometimes, this could reveal parts of the storyline which builds anticipation
for the audience, it makes it seem real as we don’t know what to expect next.
The intentions of the thriller genre become apparent in this opening through
the use of camerawork.
Editing is a key element which ties
the thriller genre together in this scene. As the scene opens we see Bond point
and fire the gun as the non-diegetic sound of a gunshot is incorporated over
the top which could be done to make the opening seem jumpy from the start, this
may denote the nature of the rest of the film. The use of animation cartoon
within the opening creates immense tension as it feels as if this is used to
hide identities and evoke a mysterious feel to it, so nobody knows what to
expect and therefore anticipation builds. The opening scene is a series of
shots that follow into each other with fades and dissolves, this means the
editing is slow pace which is a contrast to the harsh action we see within the
scene, some of the cuts are faster and this could show time passing, it is also
an effective way to demonstrate how the film plays out, from both slow action
to faster paced. The typography is small and white which makes it both stand
out yet blend with the background, there is so much going on that it would be
hard to always notice the fonts. The font type is simple which may depict that
the editors wanted it to show but not too much that it’s the only thing the
viewers devote their attention to. The
only names that really stand out is who it was produced by and the name of the
main star ‘Daniel Craig’ for example, this is because the white font is placed
against a red background therefore the difference in colours are significant.
The sound
in the opening credits begin with a loud non-diegetic gunfire, this is
immediately builds tension as it shocks
the audience into watching it further because our attention is grasped straight
away. After this, the soundtrack kicks in of You Know my Name by Chris Cornell,
the song is played for the duration of the credits and this is a simple way of
demonstrating sound within a scene, as the song doesn’t change it enables us to
focus more on the images within because this is the main thing that creates
fear and mystery.
