FILM OPENING ANALYSIS

By Jessie Williams

INTRODUCTIONThe chosen genre for my film opening is romance. I am fully aware that this may not

be the easiest genre to portray; however it is the genre I feel most inspired by. I think this is a good choice as I enjoy romantic films; therefore I have a strong knowledge of what is effective and I have many ideas that I would like to develop.

This is my pick of four film openings that I think are either specific to the genre I have chosen or have a similar style that I wish to emulate in my sequence. As well as including a short analysis of the film opening, I have created a title sequence grid with the most effective screen shots, and also a timeline of the whole opening. This research has been incredibly useful as I can now evaluate what techniques work best with my chosen genre and I can also begin to develop my own ideas.

Creating the timelines for each of the film openings made me realise how much planning needs to go into the editing process, as everything has to be carefully thought out, from the timing, placement and typography of the titles to the type of shot transitions; all of these elements can potentially relate to the main narrative of the film.

WIMBLEDON

I think Kyle Cooper’s opening effectively and immediately captures the audience’s attention, however I don’t think it visibly portrays the genre of the film. The incidental sound of a tennis ball hitting a tennis racket instantly introduces the main theme of the film while providing continuity throughout the whole opening sequence. Both the sound of the tennis ball, and the still images of the spectators watching the match makes the audience want to carry on watching, while the soundtrack’s rhythmic beat enhances the hit of the tennis ball to establish the atmosphere. I like the way the titles are placed on either the far right or far left sides of the screen, so the audience are physically echoing the spectators’ exaggerated head movement. The beginning shots of the sky are straightforward yet they manage to create a natural, simplistic atmosphere. The first few shots also imitate the view of the sky that spectators can see if they look up while on court at Wimbledon; this is a subtle and clever way of linking to the main narrative. The typography of the titles are plain and white, this mimics the style of traditional tennis outfits, therefore it relates to the narrative while not distracting the audience from the shot. Overall the film opening could be a bit longer so the narrative can be clearly established, however I think it’s short and sweet style creates a good entrance for a romantic comedy.

This is actually the end title sequence for the film, Enchanted, however I have included it because I admire Garson Yu’s artistic style and how it relates to the main narrative. The sequence includes elements of the archetypal fairytale juxtaposed with modern times, e.g. The horse drawn carriage with the New York skyline as the background – I think this is a clever use of mise en scene, as it subtly hints to the main narrative. I love the decorative Art Nouveau typography with its intricate detail and growing vines, however it may seem a bit too ‘Disney’. The illustrations are beautiful and portray classic fairytales which evoke childhood memories linked to the stories. The title soundtrack is an iconic piece of music traditionally used for fairytales; this reinforces the romance genre while also creating a light hearted feel. I particularly like the way the titles flow within the illustrations, and how the growing vines are used as a smooth transitional device that creates continuity within the sequence. Overall I think this end title sequence would actually make a good opening as the shots really grab the audience’s attention without giving away too much of the main narrative. I think the imagination of this design is wasted at the end of this film, as the audience will be getting out of their seats to leave.

ENCHANTED

INTO THE WILD (unofficial)

I love Jurjen Versteeg’s own interpretation of the ‘Into The Wild’ film opening. I think they should have used this for the film as it captures the whole narrative in such a unique and creative way; it clearly shows a man venturing out into the wilderness and discovering new places. The wide shots of all the different locations are spectacular and the transitional device of the man appearing to walk on the globe while it’s spinning really grabs the audience’s attention – its as if the audience are following the man on his adventure. The typography of the titles evoke a smart sophistication that contrasts with the wild images, however it also enhances the rawness of the images. I like the way the titles enter and exit the shot by appearing smaller in the distance before increasing in size as they get closer to the camera – this reinforces the illusion of the world spinning round. The titles are placed in the centre of the shot so they’re directly in the audience’s focus, however the simplicity of the titles guarantees the audience aren’t being distracted from following the man’s journey. I particularly like the way the seasons change as the man walks; it represents time and how fast it can fly, it could also represent his life passing quickly. The soundtrack is very atmospheric and creates powerful, heroic connotations – it could represent how the man has the whole world to explore. Overall I love this film opening as it creates a bright, exciting, and adventurous atmosphere that would introduce the film perfectly. I would really like to emulate this creative style in my own film opening.

BLUE VALENTINE

This film opening is one of my favourites as it combines beautiful, well framed shots with atmospheric music and a creative transitional device of firework explosions which reveal the next shot. Not only does this transitional device keep the audience glued to the screen but the sparkling and twinkling of the firework creates a magical effect which reinforces the romantic atmosphere. There is also an orange filter on the shots which creates a warm tone and adds to the day dreamy feel. The title soundtrack ‘s rhythmic beat reinforces the bangs of the fireworks, however at the end the music has a melancholy feel which gives it a raw edge that creates wonder and mystery. I particularly love the light hearted romantic shots of the couple enjoying life together – these entice the audience into imagining what happens to the couple in the main narrative. The still images are almost like a scrap book of the couple’s photos; they depict their good times and bad times together, this immediately connects the audience with the characters and makes the narrative more personal. The titles are in a bold, plain and simple typography that doesn’t distract from the image, but they are placed in the centre of the screen so they can be easily read by the audience. Overall this opening has really inspired me, as it is a simple concept that has been transformed by the imagination of the shots and the creativity of the transitional device which makes a big impact.