Opening Analysis of Multiple Genres

Pretty Woman

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Conventions

• The Logo's of the production companies who funded, created and/or distributed the film. 
• Luxurious setting to show the wealth of the protagonist.
• An intelligent and witty protagonist with bad experience with love.
• City landscape to establish where the film was set.
• Title fades in, large, sophisticated font.
• Upbeat music.

Style of Opening

The style of opening is narrative; it is shown mainly from the perspective of the protagonist. There is a little dialogue, not a great deal but enough for us to discover the protagonist successful career but also show his romantic issues. There is more time taken for the scene than in the credits themselves.

Information from Credits

Bold, sophisticated white font, wipe transition with Los Angles streets in the back ground. Travels from the Hollywood hills down into the main city and then the credits end and the film begins. We are shown the company logo's before the first scene begins, then after the first scene we are shown the names of the principal actors, director and production time. 

Narrative/Storyline

We see a successful, intelligent man working at a party celebrating his success, we see him being broken up with by his respective partner of the time due to not spending enough time with her; he doesn't react with sadness or anger showing he has little emotional attachment to her. We learn through a conversation with one of his ex-girlfriends that he struggles to commit and spends too much time working. He leaves the party in his friends car and travels towards the city. 

Final Destination 3

Genre: Horror

Conventions

• The Logo's of the production companies who funded, created and/or distributed the film. 
• Sinister, low pitched music to build tension and make the audience afraid of what is about to happen. 
• Dark Setting, late at night, dark set in what looks like an abandoned fairground. 
• Sinister version of childish setting. Contrast between the dark setting but the usually happy connotations matched with horrific music, to build tension 
• Narrative Motif(object with significant meaning shown several times)- cards shown a great deal, creates theme of chance/luck.
• Ticking to build tension 
• Screams of rides used to create a sense of torture and horror. 
• Hook- a mystery that makes the viewer want to keep watching

Style of Opening

It starts with a title sequence set around a abandoned fairground, this create sense of foreboding and fear in the audience, this then continues to the opening scene which uses a hook to make the audience want to keep watching. 

Information from the credits.

We first see the company logos of the production companies who created, funded and distributed the film and then this is followed by the names of the lead actors and the production team, casting directors etc. 

Narrative/ Storyline 

A group of friends go to a fairground, a girl photographs a fairground ride and the writing in the picture changes from the title of the ride to a threatening message, this makes the audience want to see more. 

Reservoir Dogs

Genre: Crime Drama

Conventions

• The Logo's of the production companies who funded, created and/or distributed the film. 
• Credits feature shot of the actor in character matched with their names.  
• Adult Language - this creates a blunt perception, rather than sugar-coating the scene, it opens the film with blunt honesty and openness.
• Gloomy, unsophisticated setting, creates a sense of bluntness in the film.  

Style of Opening

It is a narrative opening and almost seems like it is from the perspective of one of the men in the scene, making the audience feel as if they were experiencing it themselves. it is blunt and but somehow more believable than other films of this type. 

Information from the credits.

• The Logo's of the production companies who funded, created and/or distributed the film. 
• Credits feature shot of the actor in character matched with their names.  
• Directors name featured before the cast shows he is a successful. 
• Gold, thin font is subtler than what would be used in the horror genre.
• The names of the director and actors before the title.  

Narrative/ Storyline 

A group of men discussing several different issues such as tipping waiters or books.

Pulp Fiction 

Genre: Crime Comedy

Conventions

• The Logo's of the production companies who funded, created and/or distributed the film. 
• Light setting, it feels safe and warm, you don't expect something bad to happen. 
• Introduced to the characters, we see them as nice characters before we see their actions.
• Adult Language and slightly racist terminology
• Cheerful music in the background, contrasts to their conversation about crime and their actions.
• Abrupt change from sweet and cheerful to loud and threatening. 

Style of Opening

The opening is a narrative, showing a couple having couple, we learn that they are criminals debating how to commit a crime. We see private moments which make the characters seem like a normal couple and makes the change to dramatic criminals all the more tense. 

Information from Credits

Yellow curvy writing suddenly pops up on screen suddenly. The Production Logo's are included in the main credits rather than before the film which is more common. The director's name came before the title and the cast showing he is more important. The title moves up into the shot with bright yellow letters with a shaded effect, this gets smaller and smaller and until another credit appears on top of it as it fades out. 

Narrative/ Storyline 

A seemingly normal couple are in a coffee shop when they start discussing robberies and their wish to start robbing banks instead of liquor stores. They decide a good idea for a robbery would be to rob a restaurant, once they agree on this they change into a more crass, violent pair as they begin to attack the coffee shop.  

Sabrina (1954 Version)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Conventions 

• The Logo's of the production companies who funded, created and/or distributed the film. 
• Voice over 
• Short shots of the different places in and around the house to give the impression of a large estate 
• "Once upon a time..." stereotypical beginning which explains all the information and context leading up to the starting point of the film
• Classical music in background
• Lionel shown to be intelligent by holding a newspaper

Information from Credits

The credits are shown before the first scene unlike in more modern films where there is usually a short scene before. This fades out and the names of the three leads appear. The title appears next, in a light, old fashioned font, some of the producers names feature under the title in a small font. 

Style of Opening

The opening is again narrative which is demonstrated by the voiceover, explaining where the film is set and introduced the main characters. We see some of the moments from the protagonist's perspective. 

Narrative/Storyline

A chauffeur's daughter on a great estate falls in love with one of the estate owner's sons, the irresponsible bachelor, who had been divorced many times, she watches him seduce women jealously, longing for him to notice her.

Stuck In Love 

Genre: Romance Drama

Conventions

• The Logo's of the production companies who funded, created and/or distributed the film. 

• The first line makes the audience want to know more "I remember that it hurt. Looking at her hurt" this makes us wonder who this 'her' is and why it causes the protagonist pain. 

• Slow, soft music which becomes slightly unhappy towards the end when we discover the girl the narrator talked about was in a relationship with someone else. 

• Voice over

• Introduction to three different characters with subtitles being either typed or handwritten to link to the theme of writing 

• Characters look like they're talking to the camera when they're actually speaking to someone off camera, this creates an effect similar to that of a interview.

Style of Opening

It is a narrative opening, this is shown by the voice over letting us see what the character is thinking, we also are given a diary entry of sort, also showing us their thoughts and highlighting the key theme of writing throughout the film and establish the theme of writing. It is mainly dialogue giving the audience a good impression of the characters. 

Information from Credits

Aside from the production company logos, we do not see the main credits until we are five minutes into the film. The credits appear over an image of two of the protagonists; a father and son cooking thanksgiving dinner, the music is cheerful, emphasising the word home. The font is in white curvy writing, which create a light happier feeling rather than the dark tone sometimes used in horror.

Narrative/Storyline 

There a three separate story lines shown in the opening, showing three members of the same family, the first focuses on a teenage boy, heartbroken about a girl who we see kissing another man, the next is a blunt but witty woman who speaks to a man for about her opinions on time and life but when she see's that he doesn't understand she offers to sleep with him, showing us she is quite promiscuous. The last storyline shows a man watching his ex wife arguing with her new partner through her window. These three story lines and characters come together in the credits where we see them all together preparing dinner and learn that they are all related.  

The Hobbit: An unexpected Journey

Genre: Fantasy Adventure

Conventions

• The Logo's of the production companies who funded, created and/or distributed the film. 

• Soft music which makes the audience feel safe and happy but in parts get higher and tenser. Flutes are used to create a sense of safety and peace.

• Voice over, beginning the story.

• Several different camera angles such as match on shots, low angled shots, high angled shots etc.

• The voice over is directed at another character perhaps in a letter, this makes the audience feel as if they had a personal connection to the protagonist. 

• Themes of wealth, destruction and corruption. 

• Foreboding voice over, this makes the audience want to keep watching

• Hook-we see the destruction the dragon causes but we don't actually see it, this makes the audience curious and want to keep watch.

Style of Opening

Once again it is a narrative opening, we are told the story through a voice over. We briefly see the protagonist however most of the opening is the story of what happened to lonely mountain rather than a long introduction to the character.

Information from Credits

This has a remarkably short set of opening credits, only showing the production company logos, the production company names and the titles. The names of the cast and production team are shown in the final credits after the film ends. The font used is made to look like handwriting, it is gold and three diminutional making it looking like the title is made of solid gold which links to the theme of wealth in the opening. 

Narrative/Storyline 

A 'hobbit' (fictional creature which is similar to a human) sits down to write his life story. We learn about the back story of Thorin a dwarf prince, who's kingdom was once a wealthy, prospering land which mined for gold and jewels, a greedy dragon who lusts after gold attacks the lonely mountain, the dwarfs flee.

Skyfall

Genre: Action

Conventions

• The Logo's of the production companies who funded, created and/or distributed the film. 

• Dramatic theme song, creates tension and excitement for the audience. Followed by a slow hum to create tension, this is followed by some high notes which makes the audience feel afraid. The music with a dramatic fast tempo during the car chase. 

•  Several different types of shots used including match on action shots, action shots, closeups and more.

• Hook- when the the opening credits begin, the protagonist is seriously injured, implied dead. having been shot, the audience will want to keep watching to find out what happens to him.

• Split scene- the scene is split between Bond and his adviser building tension.

• Protagonist falls into the water, credits begin. The credits use graphics to make it look like bond is being dragged deeper and deeper into the sea. 

Style of Opening

The opening is an action opening, within a few moments the first action sequence has begin which leads to a car chase and then a fight. This builds tension in the audience but doesn't establish the character although as a sequel that wasn't necessary.

Information from Credits

This has a very elaborate credits sequence, it starts when Bond falls in the water, he is pulled by a mysterious through the ground as the title appears. Before this we see the name of the lead actor and the writer of the original books. The font is crisp and white, almost clinical, the font of the title is bold and white but is deteriorating in places this could be to represent death. The title sequence has a heavy theme of death, the cardboard target of bond is shot and bleeds, then we see other corpes under water which then continues to several graveyards where we see one with the name Bond. This theme continues through the titles but we also see some implied fight scenes and destruction shown with the raining of blood and the fire. 

Narrative/Storyline 

Bond tries to catch a criminal and recover a hard drive containing MI6 confidential informational, the criminal escapes the house, Bond follows. We see a elaborate Car chase which then moved onto bikes until they both reach a train, they fight but Bond's accomplice attempts to shoot the criminal but shoots Bond instead, he fell into the water and the credits began.