The Generic Conventions Of Film Openings

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The Generic Conventions Of Film Openings Luke Munt

Transcript of The Generic Conventions Of Film Openings

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The Generic Conventions Of Film Openings

Luke Munt

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• The Woman in Black is classified under the genre of horror and in my opinion portrays the majority of the mainstream generic conventions you would expect to find in a horror film opening sequence.

• The film begins with three small girls who are sitting in the middle of a playroom and interacting with their toy dolls, the mise-en-scene of this particular point in the scene displays a huge variety of antiques which establish a setting of an ancient and tired environment. Furthermore, in this scene, all three of the young girls are dressed in pale white outfits which suggest and has the connotations of innocence and vulnerability; this could have been deliberate in order to show a clear contrast between the pale innocent colours of the girls to the dark and monotone colours of the surrounding room. The opening scene also uses antique furniture and objects as iconography in order to add a sense of deprivation and ghoulishness; this is very common among a large selection of horror films in order to establish a sense of danger and horror to come.

• The opening sequence then progresses to where all three of the girls turn their heads in a robotic motion and stare directly towards the camera, this is also a regular feature of many horrors due to the fact that it suggests that there is an unknown and unwanted presence in the room which is what the onscreen actors are drawn towards. Another generic convention included in the opening sequence is a sense of claustrophobia and being trapped- the three girls turn their heads towards the source of light where a large window is shown close up, this suggests to the audience that the light at the end of the tunnel will only come if the girls exit the haunted room via the window. The girls then slowly get up and shuffle towards the window whilst crushing the precious china cutlery in the process- this is a contrast between the delicacy of the china and the recklessness of the girl’s footsteps. The end result of the opening scene is where all three girls jump and plummet downwards from the window ledge. For me, this sets up the rest of the film extremely effectively and immediately creates a sense of fear amongst the audience.

• In my opinion, the intended target audience for The Woman in Black is for the older teenage years, however I also believe that this film could be directed towards anyone above the age of 12 (Certificate Rating 12), this is because its conventions appeal to a wide variety of individuals. The intended target audience of late teens to late 20s appeals to this age group because of the fact that the film offers suspense and horror which is exactly what many young people want to experience as a type of thrill-seeking. Therefore, due to this target audience, in my opinion the demographic social class of this film is mainly classified as ‘E’- this being a low level of income and most likely to be a student. As well as this, the psychographic target audience would be for ‘tweenagers’ (children between 10 and 14) and above.

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International Gross Profit: $127,730,736Film Budget: $15,000,000 Film Producer: James Watkins (Originally created as a book by Susan Hill)Other filmography by James Watkins includes Eden Lake and Bastille Day, although Bastille Day is not a horror film, Eden Lake is a horror film which suggests this is what James Watkins specialises in. As well as this, the main individuals which star in this film are Daniel Radcliffe and Ciarán Hinds, these two actors have appeared in a wide variety of different film genres and therefore do not specialise in this area of film.

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This part of the opening scene of the ‘Woman in Black’ suggests that there is a hidden presence in the room with the girls. The audience grasps this idea due to the fact that the three girls are staring directly towards the camera which gives the audience the impression that there is a possessed spirit within the room that is almost dictating the three girls actions. Furthermore, the girls have a vacant and blank expression on their faces suggesting an element of fear.

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This screenshot displays the three girls sitting on the floor of what appears to be a playroom whilst playing with various dolls and accessories. As the audience, we get an instant impression and ideas concerning the setting and period of when this film is originally set (this is due to the mise-en-scene which is integrated into the opening scene)

The girls dresses are extremely typical of the period in time that the film is set (this being 1916-17), as well as this, in my opinion the girls are portrayed in a dominant representation due to the fact that they are playing with typically female toys and also due to their general appearance.

Other mise-en-scene displayed in this sequence includes antique toys, this is a regular feature of many horror films due to the connotations they exemplify, these include a sense abandonment, disregard and also death. This is due to the fact that these objects have a creepy and tatty appearance.

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In this part of the opening scene it displays the three girls rising from the floor where they were innocently playing, the toys which they were playing with are shown in a fairly close up shot in order to portray the feeling of lifelessness and danger to come.

The girls then continue to move where they begin to trample and stumble onto the toys they were previously playing with. A close up angle is used in order to directly involve the audience into what is happening. Furthermore, there is an uneasy contrast between the innocence and delicateness of the young girls and the savage and violent stamping onto the toys that proceeds to occur. As well as this, the fact that the dolls and china teapot are being smashed to pieces suggests connotations of something precious and vulnerable being destroyed. This is therefore a reflection and indication of what is about to occur to the 3 girls. (this being where they commit suicide from a window ledge.)

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This is a screenshot of the very end of the opening scene, it displays the three girls suspended on top of the window ledge looking out into the distance. The occurrence at the end of this scene results in the girls plummeting to their death as they fall from the window ledge.

Even though this may be unobvious to many, the mise-en –scene is this opening scene is extremely effective and well thought out. This is because of the werewolf like silhouette figure which can be seen in the background of the screenshot. After doing brief research, I discovered that a black werewolf has the Slavic language connotations of a woman who had lost several babies in succession. This therefore has a subtle hidden message referring to the girls committing suicide and a mother who has lost her children.

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• Forrest Gump is classified under the genres of drama and a romance hybrid. Due to this, in my opinion Forrest Gump has gone down in history as being one of the world’s greatest all time films because of the storyline being completely believable and well-acted as well as being appealing to all ages and gender. In this film there are many generic conventions that you would expect to find in a drama and romance. For example, in the opening scene, the audience is immediately hooked on the idea of a romance due to the fact that the majority of the opening scene tracks a white feather until it lands at the feet of Forrest Gump (who is the main character in the film). This representation of a white feather suggests extreme iconography and connotations of innocence, romance and preciousness, therefore when the feather lands at Forrest’s feet this implies that the character is special and is involved in a romantic relationship.

• Despite this, the opening scene of the film doesn’t actually reveal too much else of what the film has in store; this technique is often used in a drama in order to allow the audience’s curiosity to get the better of them. This will therefore keep the audience guessing and maintain a state of interest in what is going to occur later on in the film. However, the opening scene of the film doesn’t display too many generic film conventions of a drama and romance due to the fact that very little is revealed in the opening few minutes of the film.

• As well as this, more iconography is used when Forrest picks up the white feather and places it in the inside of one of the book pages in the book stored inside his suitcase. The idea of a feather being placed inside a book implies that Forrest intends to keep the current situation as a memory forever whilst he is on his travels- this is only an idea at the time (that he is travelling) due to the appearance of a suitcase. In addition to this, whilst the opening scene commences, the use of non-diegetic music is used in order to give a sense of mood and scenario towards the audience even though the actors cannot hear this.

• The intended target audience for this film in my opinion is for all ages and gender due to what the film actually offers in terms of viewing experience. I make this assumption due to the film offering all the aspects and thrills of a family film which is therefore suitable to all ages (unless below the certificate rating of PG-13). Furthermore, the film appeals to the intended target audience due to the film offering a huge variety of events which many individuals can relate to in some way or another. In terms of socioeconomic class and the demographics of the target audience, I would make the assumption that the film is intended to appeal to all classes ranging from ‘E’ (low income and unemployed) to ‘A’ (this being higher management).

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International Gross Profit: $677,945,399Film Budget: $55,000,000

Film Director: Robert ZemeckisFilm Producers: Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch, Steve Starkey • The director of Forrest Gump ‘Robert Zemeckis’ has directed many different films

throughout his career, the films he has produced are all fairly similar in terms of the genre and popularity of each film produced.

• Other films include the Back to the Future trilogy, Cast Away and Flight, these films have also gained huge amounts of popularity throughout the years due to the fact that they are so well made and to having a brilliant plot.

• As well as this, there are several recognised stars which feature in the film; these include Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump), Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan) and Robin Wright (Jenny Curran). All of these actors/actresses are known especially for this film however also from many other famous films. These include, Of Mice and Men (Gary Sinise), Saving Private Ryan and Cast Away (Tom Hanks) and House of Cards (Robin Wright).

The credits displayed in the opening scene of Forrest Gump are included in a subtle yet intricate way. The credits fade in and out of the opening scene in a white font. This matches with the idea of the white feather iconography.

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Institutional Presence: This is included in the majority of opening sequences in order to notify the audience of who the film was produced by. The institutional presence also adds a sense of quality and experience with a history of successful films.

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The opening scene of the film begins with an establishing shot in order to give a sense of surrounding and location to the audience. This type of establishing shot will often be filmed via a crane (aerial) shot.

The non-diegetic sound used in the opening scene of the film in many ways echoes the movement and actions of the white feather. The white feather is followed and almost tracked by the camera for the first 2 minutes of the opening scene, the feather has the connotations of innocence, delicateness and also freedom which in my opinion is completely reflected in the music that is also played. This is because the music used is orchestrated by the piano which has a soft and honest sound which therefore adds to the calm and harmonious opening.

The fact that the establishing shot includes lots of tall and dominant buildings gives the audience the idea that the film is to be located within a big city.

Furthermore, even though the piece of music used in the opening scene is generally calm and harmonious, this is almost a complete contrast to what you would associate city life to be like in terms of the chaos and constant activity that occurs in a city.

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The audiences first real sighting of Forrest Gump begins with a close-up shot of his footwear and socks. The fact that Forrest appears to be wearing a smart pair of beige trousers followed by the bizarre choice of coloured socks and scruffy and casual trainers is a huge contrast and also therefore suggests a lot about the type of individual Forrest is.

The scuffed and mud covered (originally white) trainers instantly give the critical eye many ideas as to what Forrest has gone through in terms of his life thus far. For example, the scuffed and mud covered trainers could imply that Forrest has been through many tough and near-death experiences as the trainers could reflect his life's experience. As well as this, the colourful socks could also represent the moments of happiness and love that he has experienced in his life.

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The opening scene then progresses and displays a close-up shot of Forrest’s suitcase and belongings. The suitcase therefore supports the idea of Forrest enduring many rough and tough moments in his life. This is because a suitcase has the connotations of experience and travel which could in many ways reflect Forrest’s experience in life.

The mise-en-scene in this screenshot displays a child’s picture book, this would be viewed as strange and abnormal in terms of the audiences perspective as a grown adult would not usually read or even have a child’s book. This therefore instantly changes the audiences view upon Forrest and implies that he is childish and immature in some respects.

Gift wrapped box of chocolates: The box of chocolates is an extremely iconic prop and suggests connotations of love and a present for a loving friend. This therefore implies that Forrest is currently possibly in a loving relationship.

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• Skyfall is classified under the genres of Action, Adventure and Thriller. With these specific types of genres there are many typical types of generic conventions which are displayed throughout the opening scenes of Skyfall. The opening scene commences with James Bond walking with authority down a narrow staircase where Bond is holding a pistol, this in my opinion is already extremely generic to see when viewing an action film, the gun has iconography and connotations of violence and danger which immediately sets up the film for a potential to involve intense scenes of combat and risk. Furthermore, in this part of the opening scene of Skyfall, a car chase occurs in the busy streets of a certain city which is currently unknown to the audience. This car chase involves shootings and the destruction of mise-en-scene such as the food markets; this is very effective in many action/thriller films due to this creating a sense of intensity and excitement which therefore maintains the audiences focus. Other generic conventions of Skyfall include the fact that Bond is wearing a suit and tie directly from the start of the film, this iconography of a suit suggests strong authority and power which is exceedingly common among the majority of all action films.

• The intended target audience for this film in my opinion is generally for anyone; however, I have only made this assumption due to the fact that all James Bond (007) films have a reputation for being appealing to all ages and genders because of the well-known and well-respected reputation the films hold. Despite this, if I had to decide on a specific target audience I would assume that Skyfall is most appealing to the male gender of ages 13 and onwards. In addition to this, in terms of the demographic and socioeconomic target audience, I would assume that the film is most appealing to individuals who are classified as ‘E’ (this being young and unemployed)- however the film in my opinion could appeal to a wide variety of different types of people.

• Furthermore, the reason for all James Bond films being so appealing to all ages and gender is due to the fact that they offer the viewer a whole range of different and varied events and aspects that you would expect to find in a good quality action thriller. As well as this, the acting is second to none and therefore makes the overall storyline more believable and engaging.

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International Gross Profit: $1,108,561,013Film Budget: $200,000,000 Film Director: Sam MendesSam Mendes has produced and directed a few other major films such as American Beauty and also the brand new James Bond film ‘Spectre’ however mainly produces and directs shows rather than screened films. Due to this, there is therefore no respectable pattern as to the types of films in which Sam Mendes directs and produces. • Skyfall has many recognised actors/actresses; the main actor that plays the character of James Bond

is called Daniel Craig and has therefore appeared in the last four James Bond films including Skyfall. Despite this, Daniel Craig has not appeared in too many other major films so there is no definite pattern as to what type of genre film that Daniel Craig is most well-known for (apart from 007). On the other hand, several of the other main actors and actresses such as Javier Bardem and Naomie Harris have appeared in other action and thrillers such as the Pirates of the Caribbean saga and are therefore mainly recognised as being heavily involved in those genres.

• Finally, the credits in Skyfall have been included right from the very beginning of the film, although

they are not displayed in the YouTube video, the film begins with the soundtrack and credits lasting for a duration of around a minute in order to allow the audience time to discover who and what is a part of the film.

• In the opening scene, a non-diegetic piece of music is included in order to add to the suspense, intensity and seriousness of the scenario- this is music that only the audience can hear and will therefore make the audience more aware and engaged with the current occurrences within the scene.

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This part of the opening scene of Skyfall displays James Bond walking out of a narrow and cramped corridor whilst clutching a small pistol gun. This is extremely typical of a 007 James Bond film and strongly supports ‘Goffman’s Theory’. This is because Goffman’s Theory supports the way in which James in portrayed, this being strong, superior and dominant in terms of masculinity as a whole. Furthermore, the fact that James Bond is holding a weapon and is about to burst into the busy streets of a major city suggests that he is fearless and ready for action.

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This part of the opening scene displays James Bond and a female partner driving down narrow streets of a city centre. The audience would be able to relate to an occurrence such as this due to the fact that the scene shows many ‘extras’ who align the edge of the streets- this therefore makes the scene believable and also more realistic because of this.

The over the shoulder shot displays a woman who is in control of the current situation, furthermore, this car chase also promotes violence. The reason why this is significant is due to the fact that this completely goes against the ‘Goffman’s Theory’. This is because the female character in this scene does not have the characteristics which Goffman’s Theory would usually associate with women. Instead, the alternative portrayal of the female character is shown in this scene.

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This part of the opening scene of Skyfall displays James Bond in a superior and authoritative position. This is because of the facial expressions and body language which James Bond is portraying in this scene, the facial expression displayed is a serious yet firmly confident appearance. Furthermore, Goffman’s Theory is also supported thoroughly in this screenshot, this is because the male gender is portrayed in a strong and powerful image as if the character is indestructible and superior. Therefore, due to this positive correlation with Goffman’s Theory, the male gender is presented and displayed in a dominant representation in this scene.

In this scene, a huge contrast is displayed between the levels of calmness and composure of certain individuals. For instance, James Bond is perfectly relaxed and also appears to be completely in control of the situation. On the other hand, the other people located in the background of this screenshot appear to be in a state of chaos and panic. Due to this contrast, it again makes James Bond and the male gender appear strong, decisive and completely in control of the situation. In addition to this, this representation of the male gender can be seen as very stereotypical and in many ways an unfair way of representing the male gender as a whole (the reason as to why this stereotype may be used is due to the fact that the audience would relate and easily recognise the type of character that is trying to be portrayed).

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• The film ‘Pacific Rim’ is classified under the genres of action, adventure and sci-fi although its main categorisation is under science fiction. There are many different generic conventions that are expected in these types of genre film and in many ways this film displays a positive correlation of this. For example, a generic convention displayed in the opening scene of the film is where there is a powerful and dominant use of computer generated image in order to develop and show to the audience the extremity of the current situation in the scene. CGI has to be used an awful lot in many science fiction and action packed films due to the fact that many films require audacious and impossible stunts or images to occur at certain points within a film.

• Pacific Rim displays the San Francisco Bridge collapsing and also many dinosaur like creatures destroying large parts of the city in the opening few minutes of the film, this is where CGI would be needed due to the fact that these images within a film are impossible to create and produce without assisted help from a computer. Another generic convention of Pacific Rim is the use of intense and dramatic non-diegetic music, this is a regular inclusion in the majority of action and sci-fi films as this type of music can create a sense of danger and suspense which an audience will react to. The general use of this intense and dramatic music in Pacific Rim is where music is built up and down in terms of suspense which will therefore engage the audience and also make the audience feel the same sense of danger and intensity that is occurring in the film. The final generic convention used in this film is the use of international news programmes and global communication, what’s meant by this is where many films will use international news coverage in order to add a sense of global panic and danger- furthermore, this is very iconic and a very common feature in many natural disaster films.

• In my opinion, the intended target audience for Pacific Rim is more aimed at the male gender although it could also be for the female gender; this is because the film contains plenty of science fiction and action which is generally created more for the male audience. Furthermore, the film has a certificate rating of PG-13 which implies that the target audience is for teenagers and upwards due to many scenes of destruction and violence. Moreover, the demographic and socioeconomic target audience for this film in my opinion would be aimed mainly towards the ‘E’ social class (this being young and low income individuals).

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International Gross Profit: $411,002,906Film Budget: $190,000,000 Film Director: Guillermo del ToroProducers: Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Guillermo del Toro, Mary Parent These producers have directed and produced many films however there is no real pattern as to what film genre they necessarily direct or produce. Despite this, Mary Patent has produced many films which are similar to the characteristics of Pacific Rim. For example, Godzilla, Noah and Kong: Skull Island. This suggests that this producer specialises in CGI and the relevant skills to produce this type of sci-fi/action film. Main Actors/Actresses: Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba and Charilie Day. These individuals are not associated with a certain genre of film and have all acted in many different types of film genres. Therefore there is no clear pattern as to whether they are associated with a specific genre. In the opening scene of Pacific Rim, the credits only appear before the film actually commences and not whilst the opening scene begins to play.

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The opening scene of Pacific Rim commences with illuminous green text being displayed across the screen, the text is a mixture of English and what appears to be Japanese. With this in mind, the colour choices of the text instantly gives out the connotations of nuclear activity due to the fact that this is supposedly the colour of uranium. This therefore is an early indication as to what will occur later on in the film. As well as this, the fact that many different languages have been used suggests that the film could be a global occurrence rather than just a film set in one specific country. In addition to this, the fact that ideas and connotations of nuclear are suggested also reflects the genre of the film- this being a sci-fi and action hybrid.

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In this part of the opening scene, the screenshot I have chosen displays the well recognised Golden Gates Bridge in San Francisco and also a variety of abandoned cars as well as the dinosaur like figure in the background. The fact that this part of the scene is set in a recognisable location will give the audience a sense of location and will also make the scenario much more believable and shocking as this is a place where many individuals would have visited in reality.

The fact that many cars have been left abandoned in the middle of a recognisable location again makes the current scenario within the film much more believable. As well as this, the fact that a police car has been abandoned conjures up many ideas- for example, a police car has the connotations and iconography of authority and also safety. However, in this scene there is a huge contrast from what a police force would be expected to be doing in the current scenario. In other words, the sheer size and power of the dinosaur like creature is emphasised and put into perspective from the audiences point of view due to the fact that cars and the power of the police clearly have no impact upon the creatures reckless and life threatening actions.

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This screenshot of the opening scene displays a news channel reporting upon the latest occurrences concerning the creatures activity. The fact that a news channel has been included into the film instantly makes the film much more relatable to the audience as a whole. This is because the news is something that we are all familiar with and therefore also adds to the believable nature of the film.

A very powerful and unconventional occurrence is also included in the opening scene of the film. This being the fact that the well recognised San Francisco Bridge has been completely destroyed by the creature shown previously. This therefore adds to the current scenario within the film due to the fact that a well respected and well recognised national landform has been recklessly destroyed. Moreover, the audience will most likely find an occurrence such as this to be extremely shocking and relatable.

The fact that the opening scene includes a news channel which appears to be broadcasting live events also suggests that the destruction that has occurred is to be broadcasted worldwide and therefore having a global effect which adds to the severity of the situation.

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In this screenshot of the opening scene of Pacific Rim, a clear establishing shot can be displayed. Furthermore, in this instance the shot type is used in order to give the audience a sense of the overall devastation that has been caused by the creatures actions and activity. As well as this, the shot also mainly consists of the colour black and grey- these colours are often associated with death and destruction due to the connotations they hold, this therefore reflects the current mood and setting of the film.