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Our research on common features of film openings
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Typical features of film openings
Establishing shots
Many film openings use establishing
shots. It sets the scene and shows the audience the
location of the film.
This establishing shot shows the setting of the scene is a large city
VoiceoverA voiceover is
used to narrate the story or
situation from the point of
view of a character, usually the
main character
SOUND
The voiceover at the beginning of Shrek tells the story of the princess, starting with “Once upon a time…” setting the film up as a fairytale.However, it ends with the character of Shrek laughing at the story, suggesting it is not only a comedy film, but that it is not a typical fairytale.
MusicMusic can determine genre
(eg. High pitched screeching/violins and
heartbeat-like thumping can indicate horror)
It often takes the form of a score or a song.
Music can also be used to create a specific soundtrack, a “theme tune”, such as in
Jaws. The shark is often paralleled with a particular
motif, and can often be used to trick the audience, as the audience expects/associates that particular motif with the
danger of the shark.
SOUND
The James Bond theme has become famous, and is used at the beginning of every Bond film, making it iconic and easily recognisable.
Diegetic Sound
This is sound that occurs naturally in the
environment of the scene, such as footsteps, rain,
doors opening, car horns, dialogue etc. and can help to create atmosphere. This can be done by amplifying a particular diegetic sound (eg. heavy breathing) to
create more tension or fear, making the sound more
prominent and more noticeable to the audience.
SOUND
Sounds such as footsteps and rain are very commonly used diegetic sounds.The sound of rain can also create a sadder, or more mellow atmosphere.
Titles & Credits
The font and transitions of the titles and credits can be used to create
mood, genre and atmosphere.
Often when a movie stars a particularly
famous or well-known actor, their name will be
one of the first to appear. This is because the actor is considered
“bigger” than the actual film.
The opening credits to Monty Python and the Holy Grail create comedy with humorous subtitles and moose references, breaks in the credits and, by the end, a complete change in style. This indicates that the movie is a comedy, and will be spontaneous and confusing
Distinctive Editing
This is where there is a lot of cuts, dissolves or edits within the opening sequence, as this can create a fast-paced start that immediately draws the audience in, or puts them in
the middle of an action scene. Alternatively, there may be
little or no edits in the opening, as this can provide a single viewpoint (such as in
Halloween), creating mystery, confusion or uncertainty.
This opening sequence from Halloween uses only one cut towards the end of the scene. Throughout the scene, the audience sees things from a Point of View perspective, which creates confusion, and also some frustration when a mask is placed over the screen, allowing only a limited view.
EnigmasEnigmas, or mysteries, are
often created in the opening sequence of a film in order to make the audience want to continue watching to find
answers to the questions and mysteries raised at the start.
Now You See Me begins by showing short clips of each character, without providing much information as to who they are, where they are etc.This creates enigmas such as “Who are they?”, “What is the connection between them?” and other such questions, causing the audience to want to continue watching.
Theme & Genre (Mise en
Scene)Theme and genre is usually determined very early on in the film, using the Mise en
Scene (what is actually visible to the audience in a scene)
and iconic features of particular genres to inform the audience as to what to
expect from the film.The first thing the audience is shown in this opening from Star Wars is a view of planets in space, and shows a spaceship flying across the screen. Because of this, the film is immediately identifiable as a Science-Fiction film.