- The use of sound in a film opening
- The first shot in a film opening
- The central protagonist and narrative
- The mise-en-scene
- The transition to the main film
- Examples in specific film openings
SOUND
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1st SHOT
A lot of exposition is shown through the first shot, yet there is still narrative enigma. The mise-en-scene provides the exposition of the characters, typically the protagonist. The protagonist usually isn't shown completely to leave that narrative enigma and suspense. When a movie shows the character immediately, it takes away from the suspense. A common example of the first shots are Hand of God. This means that it goes from a ELS to a LS all the way to a CU. This usually occurs as a town, to a road, to a house, to in a specific window. It shows that the character is just like anyone else and that the specific story line could have happened to anyone. I looked at Bridget Jones's Diary (Maguire, 2001), About a Boy (Chris and Paul Weitz, 2002) and Hot Fuzz (Wright, 2007).
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CENTRAL PROTAGONIST AND NARRATIVE
MISE-EN-SCENE
TRANSITIONING TO MAIN FILM
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FILM OPENING EG
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
- Expect to see multiple film idents - film industry is risky so co-production spreads risks - see distributor ident as well as production company idents
- Low budget end - often see TV channel idents (BBC etc.) - also possibly see UK film council (now called BFI - British Film Institute)
- Working Title - subsidiary of vertically integrated Big 5 conglomerate NBC Universal - not as important (junior company) as conglomerate so last in series to appear and audio bridge to movie or not used at all
- Working Title - first look deal - therefore distributed by Columbia, Sony so no WT or NBC Universal ident is shown
Film Opening
- Narrative enigma - don't know where it is set however can see faces
- Very shallow field of focus
- Big close up
- Very thick and wide sideburns - working class - possibly connoting comedy genre
- Slightly long and unkempt hair
- Gold chain
- Man more in frame than woman signifies him as protagonist (he's also on top)
- 2 shot
- Red filter connoting set in past or porn
- Further exposition through mise-en-scene
- England football team large tattoo on back - big fan - association with working class
- Football jersey in shot
- Can of lager - working class anchorage
- Comedic genre pushed at start
- Assumed bedroom - narrative enigma - actually in store
- Sales - cheap beds
- Rule of thirds
- Girl covered - anchors man as protagonist
- Single mums wearing shell-suits and smoking - stereotype of working class with father leaving
- Contrasting with This is England
- Graffiti and boarded up buildings
- Didn't get much box office - too distinctively English for an American audience - had to change name from Grimsby to The Brothers Grimsby
- Columbia Pictures Presents - distributors
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ABOUT A BOY
ABOUT A BOY
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- Fade up
- Audio bridge to first scene
- Diegetic sound from tv
- Bird's eye view
- Tracking shot
- Protagonist - proppian archetypes
- Rule of thirds
- Narrative enigma - not showing protagonist's face
- Intertextuality with tv show
- Camera movement and zooming connoting tension
- Anchored with tense music from tv show
- Show foreshadowing events - most likely to be Jon Bon Jovi character connotes comedic genre
- Voice over - inner monologue
- Non-diegetic sound - guitar strings
- Red Bull signifies youth, not sophisticated
- Tea cup with saucer - sophistication
- Cigarettes - negative connotations - complex preferred reading
- Campbell's hero's journey/monomyth - all narratives center on journey and progression of protagonist
- Big book - intelligence, sophistication
- Lower case bubble font block white - connoting comedic genre
- Navy blue slacks, gry blue crew neck jumper, blue shirt, grey blue monochromatic mise-en-scene - conservative guy
- Large collection of books and LPs, electric guitar, speakers - rebellious
HOT FUZZ
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- WT2 - pseudo indie - not indie but low budget
- Conventional first shot being outdoors but not in Hot Fuzz
- Extreme long shot
- Giving some exposition
- Rule of thirds - not concrete however light part is centered
- Props in mise-en-scene creating verisimilitude - achieving sense of realism
- Sound of sirens giving exposition
- Straight cut not fade in
- Boom sound sharply when sliding doors open - comedic genre
- Diegetic sound of doors opening - often exaggerated sounds added in post production - in this case for comedic effect
- Man in first shot walking fast connoting seriousness
- Centred in rule of thirds - central protagonist
- Very long walk and ominous sound in background to connote tension
- Camera tracking in
- In association with StudioCanal - not main distributor
- In association with big talk productions - not main production company
- Opening shot - 31 seconds long
- Close up of serious and stern expression
- Comical when badge comes out
- Identical stern expression on badge
- Disguise cut onto next shot
BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY
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- Medium long shot
- Central framing - rule of thirds - central protagonist
- Black taxis - providing exposition in where it is set (London/South England)
- Doesn't have hat or umbrella - provides exposition on her
- Blonde and female - possible dumb blonde stereotype / male gaze
- Tracking her - anchors her as protagonist and voice over
- Ellipses to little southern English village - stereotypically nice (now normative)
- Red telephone box to anchor where it's set
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