Codal Analysis Danielle Fletcher

Film Opening 1 – The Holiday

Visual Codes:O The film begins with a romantic scene of a couple kissing, this

zooms out into one of the main characters home offices – not only does this establish the genre, it also allows the audience to discover his occupation.

O Though the windows, plants can be seen dancing along with the wind. This implies that the film has been set in a colder season.

O Towards the end of the opening, the outside is shown, displaying Christmas lights along the streets – this confirms the film being set during the Christmas season.

O The costumes are not clearly visible, however they appear quite casual but smart.

O Through the characters facial expressions, two different relationships are illustrated. Displaying the first couple, eye-line match shots convey the couple glazing into one another’s eyes. Their smiles imply how happy they are together. Whereas the second couple are shown in side angle, when their eyes met, the male appears to sigh while looking down towards his lap. The shot cuts into the car driving off, some tension is displayed through these two characters.

Audio Code: O Instantly, a slow Christmassy, romantic song plays

through the company logos and into the film itself. The camera movement zooms out and pans over a male character playing the keyboard in time with the song – becoming synchronous background music.

O Just over half way through the film opening, a female narrators voice is heard. She plays no part in the scene, however her words fit the characters actions within that particular scene. No dialogue is spoken from the characters, allowing the audience to purely focus on the narrators words.

O When the transition emerges into another scene, the music speeds up, displaying the change of scene. While the narrator speaks for the second time, the music becomes quieter, then returns to its original volume when the narrator has finished.

Narrative Code:O The character of Miles is introduced by the film

immediately opening with a scene playing from his trailer being created and zooming out into his office – therefore establishing the characters occupation.

O The absence of the characters voices are replaced with a narrator, explaining the meaning of ‘love’, therefore suiting the genre of the film.

O The narrator in fact allows the audience to understand the relationships between the characters displayed on the screen. Close-ups and reaction shot of the first couple are narrated with the meaning of ‘love’, implying they have a healthy relationship. In comparison to the next couple, who are present in two shots, the narrator says “love fades”. This informs the audience that their relationship has issues, and in order to find out what they are, they are left continuing to watch the film.

Technical Code:O There are many shot types employed within the first

two minutes of the film, however the most used appears to close-up shots of the characters. A close-up shot is used to convey the male character kissing a woman’s hand, this shot reinforces the genre of the film. Both pan and tilt shots are often used to display the setting, especially of the characters office area.

O The editing throughout the opening appears slow, which in fact fits in with the diegetic background music.

O A long pan shot is very effective in transitioning one scene to another rather than cutting straight into the next scene.

Enigma Code:O Firstly, mainly characters have been displayed and

the narrators voice has been heard. However, they have not actually been introduced to the audience. The audience are left in anticipation of who these characters are and why one couple are portrayed as being disappointed with one another.

O The film opening comes to an end, and the car drives off into the traffic as the film begins. A lack of information has been revealed in the first two minutes, and therefore the audience result in continuing to watch the film.

Film Opening 2 – Confessions of a

Shopaholic

Visual Code:O Visually, the genre isn’t clear in the first two minutes as

no ‘genre conventions’ have been included, however a ‘chick flick’? Certainly. The many boxes of shoes fill the pan shot, the colours are bright pinks and yellows.

O Having a child taking up the screen time establishes the main character, and after the title of the film is displayed, an older woman is walking down the street. Rebecca Bloomfield; the child all grown up.

O The film opening consists of many shops, along with the title, this implies that shopping will be a main theme throughout the movie.

O Close up shots of the ‘magic card’, along with reaction shots of the little girl, also implies that this will be significant within the film.

Audio Code:O Lively, upbeat music sets the tone of this feel-

good movie. It remains as a consistent volume throughout; even when the narrator begins speaking.

O The narrator explains why the young girl looks rather upset; it’s because her mother would not let her have what the other girls had.

O “But when I looked into shop windows..” the narrator says while the young child looks into a shop window, implies that this could be the narrator as a child.

O As the child walks into the shop, the music has a slight twinkle to it, as in the child has just walked into her dream place.

Narrative Code:O A narrator has been employed throughout the film

opening, in order to explain to the audience why these childhood scenes are being displayed. A pan of glittery, sparklingly shoes ends at a pair of horrible brown ones. This has been done to portray what all the other girls have, and what the main character is stuck with.

O The camera movements are slow while looking into the shop window, displaying the young girl dreaming of owning a pair of those shoes. Even the narrators words have pauses between them, as if she’s dreaming herself.

O All these narrative codes explain as to why the main character has become a ‘shopaholic’ as an adult – without this opening of her childhood, this would be left unexplained.

Technical Code:O There are many shot types employed within the first two

minutes of the film. A long pan shot of 20 seconds immediately opens the film cutting into a low angle shot, displaying the main character alongside her mother and grandmother. This is followed by two reaction shots, one of girls giggling, and the other of the main character upset. Cutting into a tracking shot, the camera movement slowly turns to face the window, just like the child. The close up shot of the shoes cuts into a reaction shot of the characters excitement of what she is seeing. Shot reverse shot displays the child admiring what the woman are wearing. A high angle shot displays what all three characters shown are doing. As the ‘magic card’ is being handed over to the woman, a close up shot is used to portray that this card is significant, and as the card is pulling away, a reaction shot displays the child's overwhelming feeling. A shopping bag transitions the previous reaction shot, onto a long shot of a woman walking down the street.

Enigma Code:O The only enigma code within the film opening is to

who this young girl is and as to why she has been given the most on screen time. However, right at the end, the audience find out that ‘Rebecca Bloomfield’ is the main character and narrator who shares her childhood at the begining.

Film Opening 3 – The Vow

Visual Code:O A couple is instantly illustrated in high-angled and

mid-shots, walking out from a movie theatre, arm-in-arm. This immediately establishes the genre of romance.

O A pan shot displays the street covered in snow – implying that the film has been set during the Christmas season.

O The couple are seen getting into a car, the snow is being scrapped of the car in a close-up shot, again with the Winter/ Christmas theme.

O The pairs facial expressions display their affection for one another throughout the close-up shots, reinforcing the genre of romance.

Audio Code:O The non-digetic background music is very slow and

subtle, allowing the audience to hear the characters speaking.

O When the characters drive off, the background music disappears and is replaced by the music playing through the radio in the car. This becomes synchronous music as a close-up shot displays the character turning on the radio. You can also hear the character singing along to the music although the woman says he “doesn’t even like this song”.

O They’re constantly laughing throughout, conveying the relationship between the couple.

O At two minutes in, the male character begins narrating, just before the car accident.

Narrative Code:O A long shot displays the outside of a movie theatre,

and a couple exiting it. The mid-shot shows them walking arm-in-arm, establishing the characters relationship. The snow in the background implies that this film is set around the Winter time. The male character kisses her on the head, implying that the pair are more than friends and are perhaps on a date.

O After clearing snow from the car, they both get inside, a close up shot displays him turning on the radio. While he sings along reaction shots convey the female character laughing away. They finally drive off into the distance and unexpectedly stop, resulting in a car accident. This is displayed through slow motion.

Technical Code:O A tilting shot is immediately used in order to set the

scene of the film – night time, at the movies . This is followed by a pan of the streets covered in snow – implying that the film has been set during the Christmas season.

O A long shot has been employed on the car, this implies how the car will be significant soon in the film.

O The close-up of the female character undoing her seat belt is employed to display that this is in fact the reason as to why she went through the windscreen of the car during the crash.

O The editing of the film opening is slow, to fit in with the gentle background music – this is often used in romance movies to establish the genre.

Enigma Code:O A long shot has been employed on the couple’s

car; this implies that the car may be significant soon in the film, therefore they will continue watching to discover what will happen. The clip actually lasts over 3 minutes, however I only focused on the first couple of minutes. Shortly after the clip, the car is involved in an accident, displaying that the car with in fact significant as the rest of the film is based on what happens during the accident.