Opening Sequences

Over Her Dead Body - Mise-en-scene

Over Her Dead Body is a film about a bride who gets killed on her wedding day and can't seem to let her fiance move on. The mise-en-scene in the opening to this film is key in setting up the story.

The first most obvious thing to be seen is that the key colour in the opening is white which practically takes over the every shot and has a lot of symbolism. It is first used to help show purity which is synonymous with weddings. Secondly when the character wakes up in this odd place, it gives a feel of cleanliness, peace and mystery which helps to present the setting as otherworldly.

The choice to show pictures of the couple before the first scene is good as it gives the audience insight into the relationship and makes it feel more realistic. Then you see a series of layouts (plates, table names) that are all being meticulously put together, this helps to show how the bride is desperate for her wedding to be perfect.

The main characters costume of a yellow dress and red lipstick helps to make her stand out and presents her as an important part of the film. Also the red of her lipstick could signify the oncoming danger she is about to be in. Another point is that she herself is in high contrast to the other characters who are wearing darker clothing, e.g. her friend is wearing a dark flowery dress which even though it is still girly, it is quite dark, keeping your attention on the main character which helps to portray the bridezilla image of it all being about her. She is also in contrast to the scruffy looking man who delivers the ice sculpture in that she is very well put together and he unkempt, this helps to highlight what a perfectionist she is. Her make-up in the other scene is a lot less fierce and she is wearing a white dress which may help to show that she is at peace.

The high key lighting of the wedding scene helps to give the sense of reality and also the slight hint of glamour associated with weddings. The lighting in the other scene is a lot softer and seems slightly top lit which helps to give a more mysterious and angelic feel the the scene.

The setting of the wedding is outdoors in view of the sea, this natural location helps to portray a sense of relaxation and serenity which helps to emphasize how stressed the bride is due to the contrast in her behaviour and the surroundings.

The setting in the other scene is basically just white, it does not seem to be anywhere and seems to be somewhat shrouded in fog which helps to add to the mystery of the place and the supernatural feel to it.

Opening Sequences

Clueless - Use of Camera

The use of camera in the opening sequence to Clueless is very effective in introducing the genre and characters of the film.

At the very beginning of the film the camera is constantly moving; using a variety of pans, zooms, tilts and hand-held camera work which helps to portray the lives of the characters as interesting and exciting. It also uses a wide range of different shot types such as crane shots, close ups and long shots, this continuous changing of shots also aids in the representation of an exciting lifestyle and is extremely eye catching  to the viewer. In addition to this it also helps to present the genre of a coming of age/ romantic film as it is very upbeat, also as it is aimed at a younger audience the movement is needed to draw their attention.

This hugely contrasts to the slow pan which hardly moves at all when the father appears, which helps to show how strict and corporal the characters lifestyle is. The camera then tracks the father around the kitchen which helps the audience to link with the main character as she is following him around as well.

Finally, there is close ups of the two girls in the car, this helps to show how important these two characters are and how vital they will be to the story. 

Opening Sequences

Two Weeks Notice - Editing

The editing in the opening sequence to the film Two Weeks Notice helps to introduce the characters and the story.

In the first scene the cutting pace is quite fast and somewhat irregular, this helps to show how passionate the character is about what she is doing and also implies the slight lack of elegance as to how she goes about doing it.

The pace of cuts then begins to decrease in the next scene as she is getting out of the police station, this helps to show how she is going back into her everyday life. Then when she is shown in her own flat there is literally only one cut and this is after quite a long shot of the character ordering food, this helps to portray how slow and routine her life is.

When we are introduced to the male character the editing pace is much faster and is in more of an organised rhythm, which shows that he leads quite an exciting, sophisticated lifestyle. Which is in a large contrast to the females very boring life, this contrast helps to foreshadow how the two characters fall out due to their different lifestyles.

Overall the editing in this opening sequence effectively introduces the characters and gives the audience some sort of idea as to what the film will be about.

Opening Sequences

Juno - Sound

The sound in the opening sequence of Juno very effectively helps to set off the story and genre of the film.

The Film starts in almost silence with only the diegetic sound of birds. This helps to show how deep in thought the character is, which is then confirmed with the voice over of "it started with a chair" giving us insight into what she is thinking about. As this is the first thing we hear we know it is going to be very important to the story.

It then goes into a flash back showing the significance of the chair, with the main piece of sound being a very soft piece of music with the lyric of "I gave so much love to this love". Although this is supposed to be diegetic it is also parallel to the story and helps to show it is a past experience and that the relationship may not be there anymore. This soft day dreamy scene is broken by a loud barking which helps get us to connect with the character in that she has been broken out of her day dream just like we have.

Finally, there is an upbeat country styled song played during the credits which helps to link to the surrounding, in that she live in a quite suburban town. It also helps to hint at the genre, in that it is a light-hearted song with the lyrics of "All I want is you" showing that it is going to be a cheerful film about a relationship - a romcom.

Opening Sequences

The Lake House - Representation (Gender)

The Lake house is a romantic story of a man and woman that fall in love through letters but are sadly unable to meet as they are in different times. The opening sequence is very effective in introducing characters and representing gender. It both agrees with and opposes gender stereotypes.

The first piece of music used is sung by a man which reinforces the idea of men being dominant and strong. However, the lyrics of "I can't seem to make you mine" counteract this idea as the stereotype of men and women in romantic films are that the woman falls in love with the man, and yet the lyric seems to suggest that it is in fact the man pursuing the woman. It also links in with the story in that Keanu Reeves is living in the past and so can't seem to meet up with Sandra Bullock.

Camera framing is also used to portray gender stereotypes, for example, the first image you see of the leading female is an extreme close up of her eyes, this type of shot is used to show emotion and so helps to affirm the stereotype of woman being very emotional. This is backed up by the close up later on of another woman showing how she feels about the main male character, Alex. Also during the opening sequence there are no close ups of any men which again confirms the idea that women are emotional whereas men are not.

The mise-en-scene of the opening sequence also helps to support gender stereotypes, for example, the character Alex drives an old-looking blue truck which is quite a masculine vehicle, this helps to portray men as being strong and tough. Also, on the building site there are only men working in big boots and hardhats which shows masculinity, and is a large difference to the ditsy girl struggling to walk around in a skirt and heels. Conversely, in the first few shots of the opening sequence the main female, Kate, is wearing a bright red coat which is an extremely bold colour, signifying her independence and strength. This helps to hinder that stereotype and also draws attention to the fact that Kate is unlike most girls; she is special.

Another point is that all of the authority figures in the hospital which Kate goes to are woman and literally the only interaction with male characters in that scene is a frail old man, this helps to show woman as being strong and powerful. Which again goes against the whole damsel in distress stereotype which is commonly portrayed in romantic films.

Overall, this opening sequence seeks to challenge the gender stereotypes, especially of woman, and it shows one woman as what you would typically expect of a girl just to help reinforce that idea that the main character is different to all the other girls.

Opening Sequences

27 Dresses

The opening to the film 27 Dresses is very effective. It works well in introducing the character in that it features a flash back, voice over and it follows the character around for the entire opening, and only features one close up of another character who happens to be the male love interest and it shows his emotions as to when he first sees her. This is very good as it focuses primarily on her therefore giving the audience insight into her life and also introduces the leading male and shows his first impressions of her.

The narrative structure is established as the normal todorov style in that it starts at equilibrium and the opening is ended with a disruption therefore setting up the rest of the film.

The core themes of love and weddings are introduced from the very beginning as it starts in a wedding and then features two more weddings just within the opening sequence, this therefore sets off the the whole theme of the film which is marriage and how the main character is always helping others find love but never fulfilling her own interests. It also features a lot of core iconography such as churches, flowers, wedding dresses, wedding cake etc. which also helps to introduce the romantic genre and themes of the film.

The audiences expectations are built and you start to get an idea of what the film will be about. In that you expect that she will end up getting married as the character has been introduced as someone so interested in weddings and you are shown a male character who shows some interest in her, therefore you begin to piece together that they will end up with each other.

The soundtrack is extremely important in establishing the mood of the film and creating the right atmosphere. At the beginning there is quite fairytale like music to give a sort of daydreamy feel to the scene therefore highlighting that it is a flashback and showing that that is all the character wishes for. Then the music in between the two weddings is very fast paced to help show the rush that the character feels and to build up the tension. During the dancing scenes there is upbeat pop music playing therefore helping to create a lighthearted feel to the film and connecting to music styles that the audience would listen to.

The editing pace is quite slow at the beginning of the opening sequence during the flash back, this helps to create a softer feeling to that particular scene therefore helping to get across the fact that it is a memory. The editing during the wedding scenes is a lot faster which helps to build tension and link to how excited the character must be feeling.

The main character is represented as the stereotypical image of a girly girl who is obsessed with weddings and is somewhat the perfect woman in that she handles everything (the typical homemaker sort of view of woman).

Overall this opening is very effective in setting up the story and making the audience want to continue watching.

Opening Sequences

Playground

The story is about a man who picks up woman and kills them due to his troubled past with his mother. The story shows how every time he kills a woman he takes a bracelet like he did with his mother, however the woman who he picks up ends up killing him and it is implied that she does the same as him (kills men that pick her up (due to the collection of car key chains she added his car key chain to)). In the first 2 minutes we are given a brief background into the main characters past and shown the woman getting into the car. Emphasis is put onto the bracelet she is wearing and also the fact that the seat-belt doesn't work, both of which are key to the story and get the audience to start to piece whats going to happen together.

Opening Sequences

Last Train

This short film is about a couple who are getting the train home from a party and how the main character – Jay – becomes very paranoid due to the male youths getting the same train. The opening 2 minutes sets up the relationship between the couple and how they have had a falling out. The story is set up in the first 2 minutes by the arrival of the youths and a hostile conversation between Jay and what seems to be the main guy in the group. 

Opening Sequences

Paper Hearts

The storyline of this short film is about a dysfunctional father and son relationship in which we discover that the father has been sleeping rough. The main character in this film is the son as we are going through the story with him (feeling what he feels, being shown what he sees (we discover the secret with him – didn’t already know about it)). In the beginning 2 minutes we are shown the relationship between the father and son, immediately we are aware that there are problems between them due to the fighting and this is made to be clearly unusual by the woman intervening. The main issue that arises during the opening is the loss of the sons bag which sets off the rest of the story leading to the discovery of the father sleeping rough. Also in the opening there is some foreshadowing due to the homeless man that the father and son walk past and how the father and the man seem have some sort of connection. 

Opening sequences

Opening sequences are very important to presenting the narrative and setting up the plot. Most opening sequences do this by introducing the main character(s), establishing the setting and genre. This is usually done by using iconography of the specific genre, using establishing shots of cities or generally the area in which the film will be shot (suburbs, countryside, etc.) and making some sort of emotional connection with the character e.g in Juno we are immediately informed about how she is pregnant so straight away we make a connection with her. However sometimes key things like setting/ location are kept from the audience, this helps to create the sense of enigma and is especially useful in creating suspense in action/thriller films. For example in Max Payne there is no establishing shot it just goes straight to the character drowning and begins from the end which helps to create the enigma of the story and captivates the audience (which is another important aspect to opening  sequences).

Generally opening sequence also include the some of the main credits. These can be made a part of the sequence (words of objects in the scenes changed into the credits) or just put on the screen. I think the way the credits are depends highly on the genre of  film it is and the target audience for example teen films are much more likely to have integrated credits.