In order to find out more information about different genres, i analysed the opening credits of the film Forest Gump (1994).
The soundtrack in the opening scene indicates to the audience that the film will be quite serious in terms of the narrative as it progresses. The feather that is shown can connote freedom and peace, which makes the viewer believe that the film will encourage the viewer to question things throughout, leading me to believe from the title that the film may have elements from the thriller genre. We are also made aware that the film will contain an element of comedy in the narrative due to the fact that "Forest" places the feather into his suitcase for no apparent reason. The audience are also made aware of the charater's importance through the use of the upwards pan, which makes the character seem grand.
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Thinking about Genre (3)
I recently analysed the opening of the film "Star Wars Episode 4 - A New Hope" in order to gain insight into the Sci-Fi Genre
The opening yellow credits of the film against the black background creates the idea of outer space in the mind of the audience, builting on the science fiction feel to the film. The first thing the audience are shown is a spaceship being shot at by lasers, which immediately creates a futuristic science fiction feel. The first characters to be shown to the audience are both robotic, which shows the audience that the film is futuristic ans Sci-Fi, due to the fact that it immediately contrasts verisimilitude. The audience are shown the good guys and bad guys through the battle scene where the stormtroopers are shooting at the other guys, which encourages the audience to realise that there will be a clear aspect of conflict throughout the film. The audience are finally shown Darth Vader, who is clearly shown to be the "villain" of the film. His attire is futuristic which really supports the Sci-Fi genre.
The opening yellow credits of the film against the black background creates the idea of outer space in the mind of the audience, builting on the science fiction feel to the film. The first thing the audience are shown is a spaceship being shot at by lasers, which immediately creates a futuristic science fiction feel. The first characters to be shown to the audience are both robotic, which shows the audience that the film is futuristic ans Sci-Fi, due to the fact that it immediately contrasts verisimilitude. The audience are shown the good guys and bad guys through the battle scene where the stormtroopers are shooting at the other guys, which encourages the audience to realise that there will be a clear aspect of conflict throughout the film. The audience are finally shown Darth Vader, who is clearly shown to be the "villain" of the film. His attire is futuristic which really supports the Sci-Fi genre.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Thinking about Genre (2)
I recently watched a variety of film openings to decide on which Genre I should base my own film on.
The film starts in quite a comical way with the male antagonist telling a story about "Robbing a bank with a telephone" and the female not understanding the concept of the story. This lead the audience to think that the film will have an aspect of Comedy throughout. However, the ending of the clip lead me to believe that the film may fit into the Thriller Genre as the narrative progresses.
The film starts in quite a comical way with the male antagonist telling a story about "Robbing a bank with a telephone" and the female not understanding the concept of the story. This lead the audience to think that the film will have an aspect of Comedy throughout. However, the ending of the clip lead me to believe that the film may fit into the Thriller Genre as the narrative progresses.
Thinking about Genre (1)
I recently watched a variety of film openings to decide on which Genre I should base my own film on.
The first film I analysed was Blade (1998). This film is clearly set out as an action movie to the audience; however there is an apparent aspect of horror. The opening of the film introduces vampires which are key in the films narrative. Since vampires are usually associated with horror movies, the audience believe that the film will be related to the horror genre. The faced paced editing creates action which relates it to the action Genre. When it rains blood, we immediatly think horror as we relate blood with horror films. Throughout the scene, low key editting creates darkness, building on the horror Genre. The titles of the film are in red, the colour of which connotes blood and death, linking the film to the horror genre.
The first film I analysed was Blade (1998). This film is clearly set out as an action movie to the audience; however there is an apparent aspect of horror. The opening of the film introduces vampires which are key in the films narrative. Since vampires are usually associated with horror movies, the audience believe that the film will be related to the horror genre. The faced paced editing creates action which relates it to the action Genre. When it rains blood, we immediatly think horror as we relate blood with horror films. Throughout the scene, low key editting creates darkness, building on the horror Genre. The titles of the film are in red, the colour of which connotes blood and death, linking the film to the horror genre.
My Analysis of film openings (District 13)
The film immediatly shows you that the film is going to be action based, due to the fact that the film begins with a chase scene. The male antagonist wearing yellow is shown to be carrying a gun, which indicates that there will be a "shoot em up" element to the film. The topless protagonist is made to appear athletic and amazing in the opening and we are made aware that his athletic ability will bwe important later in the movie. The fast paced energetic music builds on the tension and adds to the excitement.
My analysis of Final Fantasy XIII (video game)
For this section, I chose to analyse the opening cinematic of Final Fantasy XIII. It might be a video game as a pose to a film; however, there are many similarities between the opening of the video game and a generic film opening.
The opening scene clearly indicates that the game will be action packed and allows the game’s narrative to be categorised in the Action Genre. The audience are almost immediately shown a battle sequence, which immediately engages the audience (player) into the game. The slow paced editing at the very beginning used to establish the area in which the narrative begins can also include the game in the adventure Genre, as the large expanse of scenery encourages the audience to believe throughout the game’s narrative, that expanse of land shown will be important.
In the opening scene, the audience are introduced to two characters who exchange diegetic dialogue, which makes the audience believe that those two characters will be important throughout the game’s storyline. When the battle scene commences, the main character is revealed. She is immediately built up to seem fantastic and is the first character shown to take action, which makes the audience view her as the heroine and important. There is a clear indication of who “Good guys” (the female and male protagonists) and the “Bad Guys” (the men in armour), which allows the audience to quickly make sense of who is who before getting into the games plot. A second male character is shown who is seen as the “hero’s helper”, as he begins to take action after the heroine has. The audience quickly get an indication that he will be quite a comical character throughout the game’s narrative when a chick pops out of his hair. This also indicates that a element of comedy will be apparent in the game. There is a non diegetic voice in the very opening of the scene, which entails of a voice setting out the narrative to the audience. This makes the audience believe that this character will also be quite relevant in the game’s plot and the character will be revealed later in the storyline. The clear themes introduced to the audience are warfare and adventure, and the opening scene gives a clear indication that these themes will be apparent throughout the game.
The game’s narrative is shown in the games opening to be closed, as the voice at the beginning of the clip states that “The thirteen days after we awoke were the beginning of the end”, indicating that one main storyline will follow through to the very end. The audience are quickly shown the first two stages of the generic five stage narrative: Equilibrium (where the train is travelling peacefully along the track) and disruption to the Equilibrium (where the battle commences) which gives the game a movie like structure. There is an indication that the narrative may be Anochronic, including occasional flashbacks to previous events that led to the disruption in the equilibrium.
The game is set in a clear futuristic period, which is made apparent by the characters’ clothing and some of the flying vehicles shown. The battle scene is also set on a train, which indicates to the audience that the game will have a variety of settings, again strengthening the adventure Genre.
The initial music immediately sets an ominous feel for the audience, serving as an action code for the battle sequence to follow. Also, in the opening dialogue between the main characters, the male antagonist says “best of luck”, which again serves as an action code to the audience. The sound of gunfire later in the clip strengthens the idea of war and serves to engage the audience.
The title of the game is quite simplistic and gives no implication to the themes or mood of the game. This can be because the Final Fantasy series is targeted at an existing niche audience and therefore no hints are needed for the targeted audience, while at the same time newcomers to the series will not be influenced by the titles of the game.
The structure of the game’s opening is quite similar with the opening of a film. This gives the game more depth, as the targeted audience are drawn into the storyline due to the movie like feel projected in the opening credits.
The opening scene clearly indicates that the game will be action packed and allows the game’s narrative to be categorised in the Action Genre. The audience are almost immediately shown a battle sequence, which immediately engages the audience (player) into the game. The slow paced editing at the very beginning used to establish the area in which the narrative begins can also include the game in the adventure Genre, as the large expanse of scenery encourages the audience to believe throughout the game’s narrative, that expanse of land shown will be important.
In the opening scene, the audience are introduced to two characters who exchange diegetic dialogue, which makes the audience believe that those two characters will be important throughout the game’s storyline. When the battle scene commences, the main character is revealed. She is immediately built up to seem fantastic and is the first character shown to take action, which makes the audience view her as the heroine and important. There is a clear indication of who “Good guys” (the female and male protagonists) and the “Bad Guys” (the men in armour), which allows the audience to quickly make sense of who is who before getting into the games plot. A second male character is shown who is seen as the “hero’s helper”, as he begins to take action after the heroine has. The audience quickly get an indication that he will be quite a comical character throughout the game’s narrative when a chick pops out of his hair. This also indicates that a element of comedy will be apparent in the game. There is a non diegetic voice in the very opening of the scene, which entails of a voice setting out the narrative to the audience. This makes the audience believe that this character will also be quite relevant in the game’s plot and the character will be revealed later in the storyline. The clear themes introduced to the audience are warfare and adventure, and the opening scene gives a clear indication that these themes will be apparent throughout the game.
The game’s narrative is shown in the games opening to be closed, as the voice at the beginning of the clip states that “The thirteen days after we awoke were the beginning of the end”, indicating that one main storyline will follow through to the very end. The audience are quickly shown the first two stages of the generic five stage narrative: Equilibrium (where the train is travelling peacefully along the track) and disruption to the Equilibrium (where the battle commences) which gives the game a movie like structure. There is an indication that the narrative may be Anochronic, including occasional flashbacks to previous events that led to the disruption in the equilibrium.
The game is set in a clear futuristic period, which is made apparent by the characters’ clothing and some of the flying vehicles shown. The battle scene is also set on a train, which indicates to the audience that the game will have a variety of settings, again strengthening the adventure Genre.
The initial music immediately sets an ominous feel for the audience, serving as an action code for the battle sequence to follow. Also, in the opening dialogue between the main characters, the male antagonist says “best of luck”, which again serves as an action code to the audience. The sound of gunfire later in the clip strengthens the idea of war and serves to engage the audience.
The title of the game is quite simplistic and gives no implication to the themes or mood of the game. This can be because the Final Fantasy series is targeted at an existing niche audience and therefore no hints are needed for the targeted audience, while at the same time newcomers to the series will not be influenced by the titles of the game.
The structure of the game’s opening is quite similar with the opening of a film. This gives the game more depth, as the targeted audience are drawn into the storyline due to the movie like feel projected in the opening credits.
Friday, 21 January 2011
My Analysis of Date Movie
I have recently watched the opening of the film Date Movie (2006) in order to study film openings from different genres as research for my own film opening. The Genre of the film was Comedy with a hint of Romance. The opening scene shows a large sized woman dancing and trying to attract men. This can be seen as humorous due to the way the men react to seeing the woman, yet since in the opening dialogue of the film she is talking about relationships, the audience are made aware that the theme of love will arise later in the film. The soundtrack playing in the background sets a comical atmosphere, indicating to the audience that the film is comical and light-hearted. The Narrative of the film seemed linear and of a similar set up to that of a Romance genre film, yet the audience were immediately made aware that the film was comical and the plot of the film would not be too serious. The opening scene of the film was similar to that of Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001) which gave the impression that Date Movies’ plot would spoof that of Bridget Jones’. This led me to believe that the narrative of the film would frequently reflect that of Bridget Jones Diary.
The title of the film was shown within the opening scene, along with the names of the cast. The font of the film is yellow and not that formal, which indicates that the film will be quite light-hearted. This sets the film up for the audience who will know that the film will be comical.
The woman in pink is portrayed in a very comical way during the opening scene, which lets the audience know that her character’s main purpose in the film will be based around humour. Since her character is the only person to speak during the opening scene, the audience are made aware that she will be a main character in the film.
The title of the film was shown within the opening scene, along with the names of the cast. The font of the film is yellow and not that formal, which indicates that the film will be quite light-hearted. This sets the film up for the audience who will know that the film will be comical.
The woman in pink is portrayed in a very comical way during the opening scene, which lets the audience know that her character’s main purpose in the film will be based around humour. Since her character is the only person to speak during the opening scene, the audience are made aware that she will be a main character in the film.
My Analysis of Hitch
I have recently watched the opening of the film Hitch (2005) in order to study film openings from different genres as research for my own film opening. The Genre of the film was Romantic Comedy. There were many ways in which this was made apparent to the audience. The first was through the non-diegetic soundtrack playing simultaneously to the scene, in which the lyrics of the song spoke of love. The second way this was shown was through the use of the diegetic dialogue from Will Smith’s character, who was speaking about the mechanics of women. This indicated that there would be some kind of love aspect to the play; however it also projected a humorous feel to the film.
The Narrative of the film was Closed and Linear. The camera focused on a variety of people which gave the impression that the film would be episodic, focusing on little parts of each character’s life as a pose to one central character. The underline plot I took from the opening f the film is that Will Smith’s character will help other characters get “Hitched”, which can be backed up by the name of the film.
The titles of the film were shown in quite a formal appearing font, which can make it seem as though there is an underline business aspect to the film. This can relate to Will Smith’s character’s profession being central in the Narrative of the film. Also, the name of the director and other cast members are shown in the opening scene, however, the film’s title is not. This is uncommon in generic films, which usually show the film’s name within the first 20-30 seconds of the films start.
There is a light hearted comical atmosphere set in the opening of the film. This is achieved through the jovial soundtrack and the comical dialogue. This sets the film up for the audience, who can either then ease into the film as it progresses in the same light-hearted manor, or shock or confuse the audience as the film takes a dark unexpected turn.
We are only introduced to Will Smith’s character which indicates that he will be a recurring character throughout the film. Also, as he is the only character in the opening scene to divulge any information relevant to the plot, this indicates that he will be an important character throughout the film.
The happy background music sets the mood for the scene. As love is mentioned in the lyrics of the song, the audience is made aware that love will be one of the themes in the play. Also, we get an insight to Will Smith’s character through his direct speech to the audience. Will Smith’s voice is non-diegetic throughout some of the scene, which places him outside the action. This makes his character seem like an outsider to any of the true events in the film yet we still recognise he will be an important character.
The film opening is set in New York City. This indicates that the film will be based in the city, again building on the professional, all business atmosphere initially given off in the opening.
The Narrative of the film was Closed and Linear. The camera focused on a variety of people which gave the impression that the film would be episodic, focusing on little parts of each character’s life as a pose to one central character. The underline plot I took from the opening f the film is that Will Smith’s character will help other characters get “Hitched”, which can be backed up by the name of the film.
The titles of the film were shown in quite a formal appearing font, which can make it seem as though there is an underline business aspect to the film. This can relate to Will Smith’s character’s profession being central in the Narrative of the film. Also, the name of the director and other cast members are shown in the opening scene, however, the film’s title is not. This is uncommon in generic films, which usually show the film’s name within the first 20-30 seconds of the films start.
There is a light hearted comical atmosphere set in the opening of the film. This is achieved through the jovial soundtrack and the comical dialogue. This sets the film up for the audience, who can either then ease into the film as it progresses in the same light-hearted manor, or shock or confuse the audience as the film takes a dark unexpected turn.
We are only introduced to Will Smith’s character which indicates that he will be a recurring character throughout the film. Also, as he is the only character in the opening scene to divulge any information relevant to the plot, this indicates that he will be an important character throughout the film.
The happy background music sets the mood for the scene. As love is mentioned in the lyrics of the song, the audience is made aware that love will be one of the themes in the play. Also, we get an insight to Will Smith’s character through his direct speech to the audience. Will Smith’s voice is non-diegetic throughout some of the scene, which places him outside the action. This makes his character seem like an outsider to any of the true events in the film yet we still recognise he will be an important character.
The film opening is set in New York City. This indicates that the film will be based in the city, again building on the professional, all business atmosphere initially given off in the opening.
My Analysis of Reservoir Dogs
I have recently watched the opening of the film Reservoir Dogs (1992) in order to study film openings from different genres as research for my own film opening. The Genre of the film was Thriller. The unclear opening scene of the film served as a puzzling hook to the viewer, which would make them question things from the film’s start. This sets the viewer up to question things that will arise throughout the film.
The Narrative of the film unclear as a group of men were shown walking down the road; but not much else was given away. I think that the underline plot of the film will involve the men shown in the opening causing trouble throughout the film, as they were built up in the opening scene to seem quite intimidating.
The characters in the opening of the film all seemed to be gangsters, which make the audience think about themes such as “crime” and “gangs” being important later in the films plot. There was also a man shown wearing a blue shirt, which made him stand out from the rest. This made him appear to be the odd one out and gives the audience the impression that his character will be one of humour throughout the narrative of the film. The characters shown in the opening scene made it clear to the audience just who the film was aimed at (lovers of thrillers and gangster movies.)
The retro music played as the film’s opening soundtrack indicated that it was set in the past (1980s maybe) and gave a cool atmosphere to the film. The film’s opening was quite distinct, meaning that audiences would relate that soundtrack to the film.
Below is a clip from the film:
NOTE: THE SECTION I ANALYSED WAS BETWEEN 7:35 AND 8:59
The Narrative of the film unclear as a group of men were shown walking down the road; but not much else was given away. I think that the underline plot of the film will involve the men shown in the opening causing trouble throughout the film, as they were built up in the opening scene to seem quite intimidating.
The characters in the opening of the film all seemed to be gangsters, which make the audience think about themes such as “crime” and “gangs” being important later in the films plot. There was also a man shown wearing a blue shirt, which made him stand out from the rest. This made him appear to be the odd one out and gives the audience the impression that his character will be one of humour throughout the narrative of the film. The characters shown in the opening scene made it clear to the audience just who the film was aimed at (lovers of thrillers and gangster movies.)
The retro music played as the film’s opening soundtrack indicated that it was set in the past (1980s maybe) and gave a cool atmosphere to the film. The film’s opening was quite distinct, meaning that audiences would relate that soundtrack to the film.
Below is a clip from the film:
NOTE: THE SECTION I ANALYSED WAS BETWEEN 7:35 AND 8:59
Analysing film openings
For one of our lessons, we watched a film opening and a film trailer in attempts to decipher the difference between the two. After seeing the differences between the two, we then watched a variety of film openings. This included Steven Spielberg’s “Catch me if you can (2002)” and P.J. Hogan’s “My best friends wedding (1997).”
Catch me if you can
The genre of the movie is clearly a crime/drama due to the ominous music and the animation. If you watch the animations throughout the film opening, you can easily figure out the entire film’s narrative. You can tell that it’s going to be about a chase and the pursued is going to take on a variety of job roles in order to escape his pursuer, as this is shown in the opening sequence. In the opening animation, the audience are shown an arrow pointing to one of the figures which we can figure out is Leonardo Dicaprio's character, as above the character is his name. The second character mentioned is Tom Hanks’, and we can tell that he is going to be the pursuer as his character is dressed in a detective’s attire. The atmosphere is ominous due to the music, and from the opening, we get an idea that the film will revolve around crime and a pursuit of a criminal.
My best friend’s wedding
The film opening immediately sets a lovey, feminine, light hearted atmosphere, and indicated to the viewer that the film’s genre is going to be romantic comedy. Through the opening of the film, we as the audience have an insight into the narrative of the film, knowing immediately that there is going to be a wedding, and that something is going to go wrong. The pink background and the fact that there were only female actresses made the film seem as though it was aimed at women. We can immediately see that the woman in the white dress is going to be a central character in the film whose purpose will be made more apparent later on. We know that the film will revolve around her marriage. Key themes that can be picked out of the opening are love and marriage, which is made apparent by the character’s props (such as the bouquet, the veil etc…) and attires (the wedding dress, the bridesmaid dresses) The old school music tells the audience that the film is set in the past and finally, the pink background indicates that they have filmed the piece in a studio. This makes it appear to be much more of a joke than it would if it had been set in a church.
Catch me if you can
The genre of the movie is clearly a crime/drama due to the ominous music and the animation. If you watch the animations throughout the film opening, you can easily figure out the entire film’s narrative. You can tell that it’s going to be about a chase and the pursued is going to take on a variety of job roles in order to escape his pursuer, as this is shown in the opening sequence. In the opening animation, the audience are shown an arrow pointing to one of the figures which we can figure out is Leonardo Dicaprio's character, as above the character is his name. The second character mentioned is Tom Hanks’, and we can tell that he is going to be the pursuer as his character is dressed in a detective’s attire. The atmosphere is ominous due to the music, and from the opening, we get an idea that the film will revolve around crime and a pursuit of a criminal.
My best friend’s wedding
The film opening immediately sets a lovey, feminine, light hearted atmosphere, and indicated to the viewer that the film’s genre is going to be romantic comedy. Through the opening of the film, we as the audience have an insight into the narrative of the film, knowing immediately that there is going to be a wedding, and that something is going to go wrong. The pink background and the fact that there were only female actresses made the film seem as though it was aimed at women. We can immediately see that the woman in the white dress is going to be a central character in the film whose purpose will be made more apparent later on. We know that the film will revolve around her marriage. Key themes that can be picked out of the opening are love and marriage, which is made apparent by the character’s props (such as the bouquet, the veil etc…) and attires (the wedding dress, the bridesmaid dresses) The old school music tells the audience that the film is set in the past and finally, the pink background indicates that they have filmed the piece in a studio. This makes it appear to be much more of a joke than it would if it had been set in a church.
The differences between film openings and film trailers
Film openings
Film openings usually tend to give details of the cast, crew and institution involved in the production of the film. Also, the title of the film is shown, usually in the first 30 seconds within the start of the film. We will usually be introduced to a character who holds some importance later in the film. There will be an indication of the setting of the scene, the mood of the film.. There will also be a signature theme tune which is unique for that particular film, which audiences will recognise to be related to that film whenever it is heard (for example, the Pink Panther theme tune is unique to the Pink Panther.) The genre of the film can also be determined from the film’s opening. The pace and tone of the film’s opening usually reflects the pace and tone of the entire film. Overall, the purpose of the film’s opening is generally to set the film up and warms the audience up for what is later to come. The general purpose of the film's opening is to set the rest of the film up and to let the audience in on the general mood and tone of the film.
An example of a film opening
Film Trailers
Film trailers usually show a snippet of the movie (usually the best bits) which lets the audience know what the film’s genre is and gives an insight to the film’s plot, but generally serves to attract the targeted audience. The key difference between a film opening and a film trailer is when the titles in each are shown. Film openings usually show the film’s title near the beginning, while film trailers usually show the film’s opening near the end. The general purpose of a film trailer is to get the audience as gripped as possible and to allow the audience to get a general gist of what the film will be like. For example, in a horror film, the trailer will show the audience that the film is in fact a horror film and will give some information into the characters (usually, the villain will be seen)
An example of a film trailer
I have analyised the opening and the trailer of the same film and commented on the differences between the two. The film I have chosen to look at is Casino Royale (2006)
The Film's Opening Credits
In the first scene, we are immediately made aware that it is a "Bond" film due to the spy like male in the suit turning towards the camera and firing his gun. This allows the audience to relate to the film immediately as this is what they are used to seeing while watching Bond films. We are immediately made aware that the male in the suit going to be the main protagonist in the movie and that his purpose throughout the film will be to "kill the bad guys." In the opening 5 minutes of the film, we can immediately see that the film will fit into the action genre, as a shooting occurs straight away which will excite the audience from the very start. The blood shown dripping down the screen has strong connotations of violence and makes the audience aware that film will revolve around physical conflict. The effects of the cards alongside the titles gives a casino like feel to the film and links it to the title of the film. The animations of the men with the guns shows that there will be antagonists in the film who may attempt to kill the protagonist as the film's narrative progresses. In the last 10 or so seconds of the clip, the main character's face is revealed in a close up, allowing the audience to see what he looks like so they can relate to him and gives some members in the audience a character they can admire.
The Film's trailer
In the film's trailer, rather than being taken step by step though the film's narrative, we nare taken through various sections of the film that will grip the audience. The trailer starts slow and builds up the tesion, before the action filled sections that follow really grip the audience. Little sections of the film's narrative are explained to the audience, however, the the main purpose of the trailer is to grip the audience. The Bond style background music helps to allow fans of Bond film to realise that the film is in fact a Bond film. The title at the end of the clip gives the title to the audience and makes them aware of the film's release date.
Film openings usually tend to give details of the cast, crew and institution involved in the production of the film. Also, the title of the film is shown, usually in the first 30 seconds within the start of the film. We will usually be introduced to a character who holds some importance later in the film. There will be an indication of the setting of the scene, the mood of the film.. There will also be a signature theme tune which is unique for that particular film, which audiences will recognise to be related to that film whenever it is heard (for example, the Pink Panther theme tune is unique to the Pink Panther.) The genre of the film can also be determined from the film’s opening. The pace and tone of the film’s opening usually reflects the pace and tone of the entire film. Overall, the purpose of the film’s opening is generally to set the film up and warms the audience up for what is later to come. The general purpose of the film's opening is to set the rest of the film up and to let the audience in on the general mood and tone of the film.
An example of a film opening
Film Trailers
Film trailers usually show a snippet of the movie (usually the best bits) which lets the audience know what the film’s genre is and gives an insight to the film’s plot, but generally serves to attract the targeted audience. The key difference between a film opening and a film trailer is when the titles in each are shown. Film openings usually show the film’s title near the beginning, while film trailers usually show the film’s opening near the end. The general purpose of a film trailer is to get the audience as gripped as possible and to allow the audience to get a general gist of what the film will be like. For example, in a horror film, the trailer will show the audience that the film is in fact a horror film and will give some information into the characters (usually, the villain will be seen)
An example of a film trailer
I have analyised the opening and the trailer of the same film and commented on the differences between the two. The film I have chosen to look at is Casino Royale (2006)
The Film's Opening Credits
In the first scene, we are immediately made aware that it is a "Bond" film due to the spy like male in the suit turning towards the camera and firing his gun. This allows the audience to relate to the film immediately as this is what they are used to seeing while watching Bond films. We are immediately made aware that the male in the suit going to be the main protagonist in the movie and that his purpose throughout the film will be to "kill the bad guys." In the opening 5 minutes of the film, we can immediately see that the film will fit into the action genre, as a shooting occurs straight away which will excite the audience from the very start. The blood shown dripping down the screen has strong connotations of violence and makes the audience aware that film will revolve around physical conflict. The effects of the cards alongside the titles gives a casino like feel to the film and links it to the title of the film. The animations of the men with the guns shows that there will be antagonists in the film who may attempt to kill the protagonist as the film's narrative progresses. In the last 10 or so seconds of the clip, the main character's face is revealed in a close up, allowing the audience to see what he looks like so they can relate to him and gives some members in the audience a character they can admire.
The Film's trailer
In the film's trailer, rather than being taken step by step though the film's narrative, we nare taken through various sections of the film that will grip the audience. The trailer starts slow and builds up the tesion, before the action filled sections that follow really grip the audience. Little sections of the film's narrative are explained to the audience, however, the the main purpose of the trailer is to grip the audience. The Bond style background music helps to allow fans of Bond film to realise that the film is in fact a Bond film. The title at the end of the clip gives the title to the audience and makes them aware of the film's release date.
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