If I stay

In the opening sequence two main production companies are shown this is warner bros and metro Goldwyn Mayer. Warner Bros is a main film production companies and produces many successful films such as harry potter. Metro Goldwyn mayor is also a popular American company such as Skyfall and 21 jump street, all these films the production company has been involved in and the production company itself is suited to the younger target audience, which suits the target audience of this film. The audience will be familiar with the production companies and they both produce good films so therefore it will advertise and sell the film before the film has started, setting good expectations from the beginning. The colour schemes used on the warner Brothers logo connotes the romance genre well as the bright natural colours and clouds connote a peaceful atmosphere this links to a romantic setting as relationship are portrayed as being happy and pleasant, this can be warming to the audience and can link to the utopian theory of the audience liking to look at a perfect life. The non-diegetic sounds used are the usual institutional sounds as this creates familiarity to the audience. This is also the same for the credits of the new line cinema as they are similarly shown before the film starts further advertising the film. Non diegetic music of the violins then starts this can link to the romantic genre as it is a deep calming undertones however it is upbeat and fast which can be used as a good transition method. Making it pleasing to the audience’s eye.

At the beginning the fast pace music and camera angles zoom down from the sky to reveal the setting of the film, the sky is a mixture of a light blue and white which is a light peaceful colour which can set off a positive image. However, it could also represent a distance and depth in the relationship as there is a large area, the use of the trees and snow on top could represent a cold negative image or loss within a relationship. The non-diegetic violin is used as an undertone as a voice over is used the music is quite positive/neutral complimenting and working well with the voice over describing her inspirational role models within music. From this we get an idea that she is into music. This can make the atmosphere positive as it welcomes the audience into her life. There are different shots such as a bird’s eye view a pan and a wide mid shot to show the area within the forest area, it also makes a smooth transition keeping the audience’s attention and making it pleasing to the eye. The use of the diegetic car engine sound can help give the realisation of the real world. Making the audience feel comfortable and will set them into the film in order to gain a response and have a connection with the film. Natural lighting is used to show the normality of life.

The camera starts to zoom from the house to reveal the family the voice over Is used to explain what is what in the family, this is important to the audience as it shows a perfect family life which can relate to the utopian theory, secondly it also connotes happiness and security within a family. The non-diegetic background music changes and becomes more upbeat to emphasise the perfect jolly family life. The scene forms a stereotype as the girl is looking up at her dad, in romantic films where younger people are involved having a good family and a close family is common. This can link to the utopian theory but can also be a positive image for the audience and young viewers as it shows love and happiness. A long shot camera angle is used to emphasise the happy family life as it clearly shows the two parents kissing as we assume from the voice over, helping the audience to clearly understand that it is indeed her parents. The use of mise en scene shows a homely atmosphere as the background is bright and looks like a normal family home. The music and voice over is fast paced which can show a busy family life in the mornings. Also the use of the voice over helps to keep a fast transition and get the information about the family quickly. The curtains in the background are red which can help symbolise love within the family. A camera pan is used with a tracking shot to show the kitchen and the normality of an everyday day to day family life, which the audience can relate to. However, this can go against many teenage romance film as normally at the beginning of the film there is an issue or something to distraught the audience straight away.

A mid shot is used to reveal the main character also showing the mise en scene behind her, the mise en sene is important as it helps the audience have a clear understanding off the family environment she is in. There is a contrast and change in the voiceover this then changes from being positive to being more negative about herself showing the character as having floors or uncertainty which the audience and young audience can particularly relate to. The camera constantly switches (shot reverse shot) of the family members which can help enhance the contrast between her and her family members, revealing to the audience how she sad compared to her family. The diegetic sound speech is used to similarly show a positive friendly atmosphere helping to extrapolate the close bond the family share.

A close up shot of a newspaper is used, revealing a boy singing, this then refers to music which seems to be the main theme so far in the film. The audience will question who this boy is, the use of the newspaper reveals a darker side of the story declining the good atmosphere within the family life drawing the audience’s attention. The camera cuts straight to the newspaper to the girl’s face showing the direct link between the two people. Revealing to the audience this is either her boyfriend or close friend. Shot reverse shots are used to keep a consistent flow in conversation between her parents and her when talking about the boy, this effectively shows the facial expressions and reactions, with the mum looking disappointed and light-hearted showing the caring qualities a mother has. The troubles or complications between the girl and boy character is amplified when non diegetic voice is used ‘I don’t want to talk about It’. A change in atmosphere is created by the music becoming sadder a non-diegetic voice over is used to emphasise the sadness within the scene highlighting to the audience that she has feelings towards the boy. The voice over can help show that the character’s feelings are hidden from everyone else as the voice over can imply the thoughts in her head.

A mid shot is used to show the flashback, showing the girl is thinking back, this helps to tell the story for the audience. The use of a flashback could highlight to the audience how everything has now changed.

The mid shot shows the boy he is centralised making him look important as the camera position is quite low emphasising his importance within the film making the audience assume he is the person she had fallen in love with. It could also help to imply how the girl looked up to him. The mise en scene clearly shows a school background from the bags and hallway you can see in the background. A voice over is dominant in the opening of the film and this time it is used to show who the character is and her opinion on him. This could make the audience feel sympathetic towards the character. The scenes cut nicely and smoothly which can help show the close relationship they had and can also show that she remembers what happened clearly. A tracking shot of the boy is used focusing on him walking down the corridor, the tracking shot pin points him from the rest of the people singling him out making the audience focus on him, showing him off as being an appropriate character, it could also help symbolise how the character felt about him as the camera is focused on him.

A mid over the shoulder shot is used to show the boy looking at the girl playing the cello, this is significant and creates romance as he is noticing and admiring her play yet we learn from the diegetic dialogue that she doesn’t like anyone listening while practising. The over the shoulder shot also shows the boy character to be intrigued in what she is doing showing the common similarities between the characters. The mise en scene is the same reds and white colour scheme used this connotes love and purity creating a positive atmosphere. There is a constant cut between the girl and the boy, this can be further used to show a common stereotypical romantic genre technique of the two people finding each other by chance. The transitions and cuts are smooth and flow nicely showing a positive normal environment and atmosphere which is common in the romance setting and helps to portray the utopian theory of the audience liking a perfect life. A close up shot of the girl’s hand emphasises how intrigued the boy is and can show off the girl’s skills, the audience also will feel like they are looking through the boy’s eyes. This helps to show the amazement the boy feels. The use of the close up makes the audience see every little detail of the girl playing this instrument which can connote how much the boy is intrigued and is trying to get to know the girl. A common stereotype is formed of the girl’s friend, she is used as the girl’s helper, we can tell this by the diegetic dialogue of the girl’s friend telling her the boy likes her. This can link into the Vladimir prop theory of the helper role.

A diegetic bell sounds makes a clear transition between the music room and the hall, this is also a common school feature so link well within the environment. A non-diegetic voice over is used to help tell the story of the two characters, showing the audience a flashback of her memories and thoughts, this is effective as she only tells the audience these things making the audience more involved. The use of the flashback fits in with the fragmented narrative. Mise en scene is used to show a common locker scene used to connect the boy and girl together, showing a typical school romance. A shot reverse shot is used when both the characters are talking to each other, helping to show their facial expressions and connoting how their relationship is bonding. Diegetic dialogue is used; it is stuttered which can help connote a nervousness within the characters, this could show that they are trying to impress each other. Another stereotypical features is used showing the girl getting asked out on a date by the boy enhancing the bond between them and showing that he likes her.

Overall in the film opening it shows the relationship forming between the two characters which is common in this genre.it also shows complications which is also common and teenagers and people in relationships may be able to relate to this in some way. I think that the target audience will be people aged 13= who like romance films. The uses and gratification theory can be used for this as it links to people being able to relate to the situations within the relationships to a certain extent.