Opening Sequence - Scream

Genre: Horror
Director: John Carpenter
Year Released: 1996

The opening sequence of scream starts off with a women doing normal everyday things around a house in a relaxed atmosphere. However, this relaxed atmosphere suddenly changes when she is making popcorn, a phone rings with a murderer on the other end, talking about scary movie's. He the moves on to talk about the women boyfriend. She hangs up on him but he rings again. Telling her not to hang up on him. A tense atmosphere builds up, whilst her popcorn is burning. He rings another time, Her suspense builds up as the murderer is telling her to go outside and she tells him to leave. She tells him to go away because her boyfriend will beat him up, he then tells her to look outside and turn the patio lights on where she finds her boyfriend being brutally murdered. The woment then makes a dramatic but unsuccessful escape.

There are many different generic conventions used in the opening sequence. Firstly, the main character is introduced as a typical American girl. Non-diegetic sound is used with dramatic music to build up tension when the women panics around her house. The music helps the plot to be introduced, the audience would gain an idea of it being a horror movie. Mise-en-scene is used showing the typical American couple and the typical American house. The boyfriend of the women being in a American baseball jacket and jeans. When her boyfriend is tied to the chair graphic is created showing the blood on her boyfriend which also represents it being a typical horror movie. Finally, the credits are after a short beginning of the movie showing the audience what the movie is about.

Opening Sequence - Saw VI

Genre: Horror
Director: Kevin Greutert
Year released: 2009

The opening to saw VI starts off very dark and alarming to the audience, creating atmosphere straight away and also sets the genre of horror. The camera starts to go around this character of which we see as the audience as a character in trouble and by her reactions, we see her as being frightened and scared by an unfamiliar place. Then a light appears lighting the room enabling the audience and the character to see the setting, of which then it shows the distress of this character as she becomes aware of the knives on the table the camera shots to a point of view shot showing the audience what she has just seen on the table (knives). We are unaware of another character in the room until it cuts to another character with the same situation, as the characters interact with each other we See that they know each other. As a TV screen appears with a clown we are then informed as an audience what these characters have to be freed. Then as then timer goes off we see the timer as it then continuously cross cuts between the characters slaughtering themselves.

In this opening a lot is seen and it immediately indicates to the audience what genre and what they are in for by the opening. The opening of 'Saw VI' informs the audience a lot by the simple use of showing the setting and also the way that they used the characters as being unaware of the situation much like the audience so they can inform the characters while also informing the audience. The opening is very simply done yet very effective in the plot. The use of sounds is used very cleverly, as the opening starts off very quite which is very unsettling to the audience, of which any movement or sound made by anything in the room surprises the audience as its unexpected and it grips the audience.

Opening Sequence - Transformers

Genre: Sci-Fi
Director: Michael Bay
Year Released: 2007

The opening sequence of transformers is slightly different compared to the other analysis we made for other genres. In this sequence the opening credits are introduced immediately with music from robots and other machinery noises are being played. As the credits are appearing the robotic noises are used to make the audience more engaged and so that they are aware of the type of film they are watching.

There are only two of theses opening credits, which then continues to the beginning of the film. The clip which is shown, is only allowing the audience to see the cube in what the film is focusing on and is explained in more detail in the film. This leaves the audience wondering of what the cube means to them. While the camera has a close up of the cube, a robotic voice is heard explaining and informing the audience of what has happened and the robots objective of the club and how it could be used. As the cube is moving the camera is working its way back and the camera is going into an extreme long long and the audience are able to see the cube head towards earth, leading to arising problems.

The end of the opening sequence ends with the shot being cut to the title of the sci-fi film, Transformers. the title is represented in a robotic form and in a transparent blue. comparing this film to other films opening sequences there is a slight difference. In the majority of the other the main characters are introduced and you get a gist of what the film is going to be about and can sometimes be quite predictable. However, with transformers you are not introduced to anyone and only a voice is heard. So you aren't really aware of who the main characters are and what thge outcome will be.

Opening sequence - Goodfellas

Genre: Crime/Gangster
Director: Martin Scorsese
Year Released: 1990

In the opening sequence of Goodfellas we are introduced to the three most important characters in the film in its opening sequence. Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), James 'Jimmy' Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) play the main characters in the film showing they are very much gangster like. In the opening sequence all of the characters are in a car being driven along a highway where Henry then pulls over in a lay by. The audience are totally oblivious to a male hostage that is trapped in the boot of his car. The three men get out of the car in the dark and make their way towards the boot after much hesitation. Henry unlocks the boot of the car and the audience see a very much bloody and gory sight. After realising the hostage is still alive Tommy reaches for his Gun in his pocket and continously stabs him and then Jimmy gets his gun and shoots him over and over again confirming to the audience that he is dead. They act like it is a normal thing they do in every day life and casually get back in the car whilst Henry shuts the boot.

The main character of this film is Henry Hill, who is introduced at the end of the opening sequence of the film saying 'As far back as i can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster'. This indicates the genre of the film to the audience and also shows the audience a hint of what the film may include.

Opening Sequence - Mean Girls

Genre: Teen Movie
Director: Mark Walters
Year Released: 2004

In the opening sequence of Mean Girls, we are introduced to the main character in the opening sequence of Mean Girls, the main character Cardy Heron, who is a teenage girl who is just about to start High School for the first time. This is her first time she is starting high school because she has been home schooled in Africa 12 years by her highly educated parents who are zoologists.
She finds it hard on her first day of secondary school very hard and she finds herself being intimidated by other students.
As she walks through the entrance of the school we see the different types of students she will come across and have to try and fit into. Cardy looks like a very intelligent character compared to the students she passes within the school.

When we are introduced to the main character there is use of a voice over which gives the audience an overview of her past life and what she is like as a character allowing the audience to follow the story line by getting a hint of her character. This also shows the audience the type of film and then allows the plot to follow on smoothly. An upbeat pop song is played during the opening sequence which therefore fits in the with the high-school setting surrounded by teenagers and it also appeals the the audience of the film which is most likely to be teenagers.

Conventions of an action thriller

Genetic conventions of action thriller, for an opening sequence would usually characterized by fast pacing and frequent action. Literary devices such as suspense and cliff hangers are used abundantly. Generic Thriller is designed to explain the basis of dramatic construction. Thriller action includes the conventions of setting up the main characters of the movie and by the setting/time of where the movie is set. Though these conventions it constructs the suspense and it grips the audience by the story line and its clever use of deictic and non-deictic music then the cross cutting of shots which starts by not revealing the whole of the shot in order to keep the audience in suspense and questioning. Thriller actions is a hybrid, this makes the movie much more interesting and unusual to the audience just enabling the director and producers to drag in audiences of both genres making the movie more popular.

Analysis-Previous Year 12 Opening Sequences

What did not work in filming their opening sequences?
From watching the opening sequences that the previous year 12 filmed we learned a lot from their mistakes when filming. Most of the groups filmed in locations around this area (locally) this made it look very amateur and unprofessional. Also the genre for each opening sequences where mainly horror which made it every predictable and boring. The majority of the group were not very successful as the held the camera instead of sing the tripod, making it look amateur. The casting, for example some of the groups casted people who were not appropriate for the role as they chose a teenager to play a role of a older women, which did not make their work look professional. In one group there was a lot of repetition for example they kept on using walking shots which lost the audiences attention.

What did work in filming their opening sequences?
The camera shots and cross cutting to the different shots were very well done, the chose of shots was good, for example to create tension the groups would have shots cross cutting from one character to another, and making the pace of the shots must faster. The music for each of the sequences were very well chosen, as it went well with the genres, this enabled to grip the audiences attention,having sound is a feature that help make the groups opening sequences more successful.

Opening Sequence-Pulp Fiction

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Name: Pulp fiction
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Year produced: 1994

The first shot is of the meaning of pulp, this is relating to the title of the movie giving the audience an insight to how this may relate to the movie. The next shot of two characters eating in a cafe, discussing robbing a bank, it continues to cross cut between these two characters in the cafe talking, enabling to let the audience see their emotions and reactions to each other letting the audience see what their relationship is like. However these two characters are not the main focus of the movie however they link back to the end of the movie which is cleverly done, as if they introduced these characters in the beginning it helps the audience in remembering who they are even though the are minor characters. it s a very unusual opening sequence. Then as soon as the characters stand up, it cuts straight to the credits, and music which engages the audience instead of having silence when they are watching. This opening sequence is a short and simple opening, the large font used for the title which fills the screen this then implies the movies magnitude.

Opening Sequence - SE7EN

The opening sequence for SE7EN introduces Morgan Freeman in is home getting ready to to live a day in his life. He was dressed in a suit which shows his lifestyle is evolved around a business life. The way the character is presented is that he is very organised which is keys all set out in a particular place/order as he is neat and tidy kind of person. the house he lives is so clean it doesn't look like anybody lives there due to the tidiness of it all. The emptiness of the house suggests that Freeman is living alone and doesn't live with his family. Just before he leaves his house, his jacket is placed neatly on his bed and as he picks it up he dispatches any sights of fluff or dust to show his perfection.
The next shot we find out the role of Freeman which is a police officer, at this stage the plot/theme is introduced as a murder investigation. Brad Pitt is not introduced into the scene when he walks into the crime scene. The character of Brad Pitt shows that he is less professional due to the chewing of gum and what he is wearing. This could also show that he is less professional than Freeman as he doesn't really have an interest in his appearance. When both characters are discussing the murder case they take their conversation outside where the body is being carried out. The professionalism of Freeman is shown through the smart hat and coat where as Pitt is still remaining to chew his gum.
The next scene shows freeman laying in his bed distracted from the noise of traffic outside, whilst this is occurring the ticking from inside his house suggests that time is slowly running out.
Finally, the credits are shown, from cutting from the film to credit and then back to the film. at this point the killer is presented by cutting the finger tips with a razor to destroy any evidence which suggest that the killer is a murderer. whilst the credit are happening, the music makes the the character and the audience feel in an uncomfortable position.

Opening Sequences

An opening sequence is used to introduce the main characters, in order for this to happen not much happens in the opening. It only establishes the characters and narrative context for the audience, of which it sets up the problem that will create the films plot. The structure of the opening sequence usually is constructed by cross cutting between the title then to the action, this makes the opening sequence more interesting to the audience, drawing then in immediately.

Welcome!

For our media project we will be creating a opening sequence to a movie. In this blog we will talk about the structure to opening sequences, movie openings, previous year 12 openings and how we constructed our final piece.