Analysing Film Openings - A Knight's Tale

A Knight’s Tale

 In the beginning of the first two minutes there is a blank screen and only the sound of non-diegetic  medieval music playing, hinting that it is a period film around the middle ages. The music has an energetic and excitable feel to it, which tells us that it is going to be a film to do with action and it will be based around the period of the medieval times. There are also title slides to give the viewers information without the use of a voiceover or having to have it explained in the movie. The setting is a jousting arena with crowds cheering, horses and knights fighting; this shows us how dangerous the sport is and an idea that jousting has a significant role in the movie. The lighting of this setting is bright and colourful and this gives the impression that even though there is fighting it is a light-hearted film that is more aimed at having a comedic atmosphere rather than a serious one. The camera angle used in this scene is a mid-shot as you have a knight in the shot when he’s racing toward the other knight, yet you can also see the set around him so that you know where he is, this is useful as you then understand the film more and you are more able to imagine what it was like in those days

 When the second screen of information fades away, there is a close up of a man in armour. As this follows straight after the jousting match we have just witnessed, it give us the impression that it is the same man that we have just seen fall. After that it cuts into a close up of a man in rags, this suggests he is a main character and that we need to remember his face. The rags that he wears give us information that he is of a low class and is very low in money; this is a big contrast to the last scene with all the men in knight armour, suggesting that they are rich and of a much higher status than the man in rags. The actor that plays the man in rags has a strong body and long hair, the long hair gives us a feel of a more primitive person that doesn’t have the equipment to cut his hair, and his masculine body shows us that he is strong and physically capable of doing hard tasks that require strength, like jousting for example. The only sound in this shot is the background sounds of trees rustling and bird song, this tell us that he is outside and there is nothing else going on around him that is of importance. Soon after this another man comes on and so the close up turns into a two shot. That other person has some little bits of cloth stuck up his nose this is a way of telling the viewers that the place where that are at has a potent smell and the cloth acts as a nose plug, this also shows that in those days they are very much less equipped compared to our day and age as they do not have proper thing to mask the smell.

 It then goes into a group shot, with the two men, the knight and the knight’s horse; this gives us an idea of all the characters and the relationship between them. It is also an establishing shot as we can see the trees and foliage behind them, showing us that they are away from the town and alone outside.

 The men in old rags are supposedly peasants and to play that part they had to change their accents to make their role more believable to the viewers. The accents are not what you would expect of a person of a high status as they spoke in quite a sluggish manner whereas you would be expect a rich person to be speaking in a way that enunciates. 

The opening is of the title of the company that had made it. The colours are bright and attractive so that people will notice it.

This film narrates the opening scene with the use of added information on that screen, the screen is required to stay up there for a few seconds so that everyone has time to read them and get a better idea of what is happening in the film. These slides were used in-between the shots, this made the transition of the these shots a lot smoother, especially as they faded in and out.

This is a two shot of the knights having a jousting match, they are both at the edges of the camera, this makes it look like that have distance between them and that they do not have an amicable relationship between the two of them. It is an establishing shot as well, the crowds in the background and the dust coming from the ground help set the scene of an intense middle ages battle. At this moment in time the non-diegetic music it really intense to keep the people interested and so they know it is a dramatic part of the movie. The diegetic sound is of the crowd cheering and shouting, this is to help set the scene more.

Then as the music stops the scene changes to a close up of the man in armour, we can tell this is the same man in armour as his jousting stick is in the background, however as it is in a shallow focus our eyes are more drawn to him.  

This two shot suggest a close relationship between the two people as they are close together in the shot. The angle is lower than the two men, making this a low angle shot, this gives the feeling that they are looking down on something and it also makes them seem bigger than they actually are.

As there are three people in this shot, it becomes a three shot, even though you can only see a bit of the man in armour. It also has the rule of thirds going on, it has been split up into three sections; the man with blond hair, the man beginning to crouch down with the knight and the horse on the right. It is also an establishing shot as you are able to see the field in the near distance.

This shot is a POV shot of the man with blond hair, looking down on the other man, this shows that he is a main character and we should try to relate to him more and see though his eyes.

This has got me thinking about whether we need title slides or could use them to establishkey facts to the audience. We don't need them as detailed as this, but maybe giving a date and time or a location, almost with a spy genre feel, as this gives the impression that time is important and there is a need for secrecy.

Analysing Film Openings - Children of Men

Scene summaries-‘Children of men’ first two minutes

The film begins with a news report playing of the opening credits, which are very basic, with just a black background and white text. The news report talks about the death of the world’s youngest person; this could be an important plot point later into the film. There is then a sudden cut to a group shot in a café filled with worried looking people listening to the news report. Then the first main character is introduced with him walking from the back of the group. At first he seems like a non-important person because he is just another random face in the crowd but as he gets to the front it obvious he is a main character because he is the only one in the café who is taken in by the news report. The clothes worn by the people in the shop are all greys and blues, this helps set the tone of the film as something that’s not bright or cheerful. This is also reflected by the first main character who is wearing a black coat, grey shirt and grey and black tie. The fact that everyone wears dark colours makes it harder to differentiate the main character from the crowd.

It then cuts to a POV of the news report, this adds context to what is happening in the world at the time. We are told of the story of Baby Diego who was the world’s youngest person, the news reports then gives his birth date year and year of death, this show to the viewer what the year is.

It then cuts back to the main character that grabs his coffee and then starts to walk out of the shop but a POV shot is used to follow him out of the café into the street where it reviled that we are in ‘London, 16^th November 2027’. The mise-en-scene of the setting is quite grey and cold, we see military helicopters flying overhead and rickshaws and cars driving down the road. As we follow the man down the street he stops and starts pouring alcohol into his drink, this show that he is probably an alcoholic. As he pours alcohol into his coffee the shot moves past him and looks back down the road to the café with the man to the side of the frame. Then there is a large explosion from the café and then there is a sudden cut to the title screen.

The beginning of this film is very quiet with not much really happening, but it is able to tell a lot of story in the environment. There is no music in the first two minutes even on the credits and title shot and all sound seems to be diegetic.  

 

Screen shot 1:

The opening shot is a group shot of a crowd of people watching a news report and looking worried. This shows the setting of the first scene, which is a café in this shot. We can see how grey and dark the world is, through the peoples clothes, which primarily consist of blues, greys and blacks.

 

Screen shot 2:

In this shot we are introduced to the main character. The reason you can tell he is the main character, is by how he is the only one not bothered by the news report, but the fact that he wears very dark clothes also makes him blend in with the environment.

 

Screen shot 3:

This shot is a POV shot and allows the viewer to see the news report about the death of the youngest person in the world. This it also gives a bit of backstory about the year and what is happening.

Screen shot 4:

This is the first establishing shot. The way this is done is through a POV shot which follows the main character. This shot shows us the date and location with a small block of text in the corner. The use of rickshaws, medical masks and the emphasis on the colour grey gives the world a dark gritty feel.

 

Screen shot 5:

Is a mid-shot of the main character pulling a bottle of alcohol out of his pocket, this shot gives us information and detail of the character whilst still showing the environment around him. The bottle suggests that he is an alcoholic.

 



 

Screen shot 6:

This shot is a good example of using the rule of thirds, with the main character in the far left of the screen and the event/explosion on the right.

 

Screen shot 7:

In this shot the camera is moved down to the explosion and we see injured and burnt people walking out of the café. This one scene sets the atmosphere for the entire film.

 

Screen shot 8:

There is a sudden cut to a black screen with the title of the film.

 



 

Titles and credits:

There are four different title slides before the film starts the first two are the production companies, are the other production companies involved. Whilst this is playing there is a voiceover of the news reporter giving information on the back story.

What I Learned

This was a useful film for me because we are starting in the middle of the action, and this was a film that began with a dramatic event. I think the key thing is to use camera angles and distances to make an atmosphere of something about to happen - tracking shots and close ups. Sound is also important to create atmosphere.

Analysing Film Openings - The Shining

Scene Summaries – The Shining

The beginning of The Shining is a very interesting example of an opening, because every shot used is an aerial establishing shot, this is interesting because this is not usually done. The beginning of the film opens with a shot of a lake with a lonely island in the centre. The way this is shot makes it seem like a POV shot from the perspective of a bird.

In the next scene we see an aerial shot of a yellow car driving down an empty road. This scene gives a sense of loneliness because there is nothing but woodland and a car.

We continue following the car up the mountains which creates a sense of foreboding.

The use of non-diegetic music in the opening creates tension because it’s very dark and sinister.

 

Screen shot 1:

The film opens with a sweeping establishing shot of an island in the middle of a lake. The way it is done makes it seem like a POV shot from the perspective of a bird.

Screen shot 2:

This is another aerial establishing shot but this time you can see a car on the empty road.



 

Screen shot 3:

Yet again an establishing shot is used to show the mountainous region and open plains.

 

Screen shot 4:

In this shot the credits start playing with the car driving further up the mountain. This is an establishing shot.

 

 

What I Learned

 

That keeping your distance in this way makes an effective and unusal film opening. We can't do this as such, but we can look at using a long series of establishing shots. 

Analysing Film Openings - Blood Diamond

Scene summaries - Blood Diamond

The film opens with a world map with Sierra Leone highlighted; there is then a voiceover explaining backstory information and the scenario the film is set in. The next we see a person trying to light a lamp, with the lamp being in shallow focus, the camera is then refocused to deep focus and we then see the man lighting the lamp. The man then moves to wake up his son for work, and there is dialogue between the man’s wife and the man. We are introduced to the family in the form of two shots with the husband being close to the son, with his hand on the sons head trying to wake him up, and the wife is shown lying down with the daughter who is still asleep.

There is then a series of establishing shots with the first being a sunrise over the African savannah, then an establishing shot of the sea with old fishing boats. We then see the father and son walking towards the beach and we can tell that they are very close to one another in the two shot and this shows that they are very close to one another as father and son.

Screen shot 1:

This begins with a map of the world with Sierra Leone dotted out. It then has a voiceover to provide context as to the importance of this country.

Screen shot 2:

This shot introduces the first main character. The shot used is a close up and it first begins with a shallow focus shot of the lamp then it focuses on the main character.

 

Screen shot 3:

There is another close up of him waking up his son. This is also a two shot but more subtle.

 

Screen shot 4:

There is then a two shot used to introduce his wife and daughter, with subtitles to translate what they are saying.

 

Screen shot 5:

This an establishing shot showing the setting of the film.

Screen shot 6:

This is another establishing shot, showing their jobs.

 

Screen shot 7:

This shows them arriving at work. A two shot is used to show the closeness between the father and the son.

 

Title and credits:

There are only two images used in the credits both for the studios.

What I learned

This is all about establishing - location, atmosphere and character. This is probably a classic film opening from that point of view. Almost nothing happens but we have a strong sense of a place and time. This is all about holding back in the opening.

Analysing Film Openings - 27 Dresses

Analysing opening sequences – 27 Dresses

 

1. The opening shot of this film is set at a wedding, making sure we know that weddings will have a lot to do with the rest of the film. It is a mid shot which is used to show emotion but also the surroundings and from this shot it is clear that the little girl is going to be a recurring feature.



2. The next shot shows the bridesmaids and could be from the point of view of the little girl because she is clearly watching her surroundings with awe, this makes the audience feel she has a fascination with how a wedding is and how pretty it is like every other little girl. But we get the sense that it’s going to be a big part of her future.

 

3. Shot 3 is a close up shot clearly documenting a man’s emotion, this shot is important but at this moment we are not sure why. This shot also secures the audiences interest as weddings are meant to be happy occasions and we wonder why his face is portraying otherwise.



4. This shot is a mid shot and an over the shoulder angle, it shows her admiring herself in the mirror but we are positioned to see that she is slightly sad. This image gives connotations of a child imagining herself older.

5. This shot is a POV shot from the little girl’s perspective and we see the significant rip on the wedding dress as the camera angle allows it. This shot is important as the dress itself is important for the wedding to happen. As the camera work focuses so much on the dresses and the flowers we see a pattern and begin to realise that this will shape the little girl’s future.

6. This shot is a close up shot and it is significant because it shows a happy emotion on the little girl’s face as we haven’t seen very much emotion from her before.

Useful For

- establishing a character. We need to introduce our characters in turn so we need to use a mix of close ups and the character in a context so the audience gets to know them quickly.

Analysing Film Openings - The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Analysing opening sequences - The Exorcism of Emily Rose

1. In the opening shot to this film there is very low rumbling non-diegetic music, which is effectively creating a dark atmosphere for the audience and this paired with shot 1 sets the scene for the rest of the film. In shot 1 it states that ‘’ This film is based on a true story’’ this therefore prepares you for the events ahead as it tends to be that if this phrase is used the story itself is bound to scare the audience way more, if they believe it has actually happened. Even if you don’t believe this, you recognise the attempt to scare you. The background around the writing is pitch black and this also adds to the phrase as that is the only thing you focus on.

2. In shot 2 there is use of part of a barbed wire fence, which gives connotations of being trapped or needing to keep something out. This fits in very well with the overall mood of the film as exorcism is basically focused on being trapped and setting something free. This is the title page of the film and blood dripping off the barbed wire creates the film’s title. This is an inventive way of introducing the film and increases the audience’s attention as the blood looks like it is a sign of what is to come.

 

3. Shot 3 is an establishing aerial shot and the colour as with shots 1 & 2 is very bleak and the light is barely there, this could be due to the time of day showing it is way before anyone would normally be up. It affects the audience because it is very dreary and unappealing; this ensures the audience feels trepidation towards this location.

 



4. This shot is a mid shot which allows you to see the location a reasonable amount, whilst showing the rolling clouds overhead. This creates tension in the shot as the audience is positioned to feel an oncoming storm. In all of the shots I have picked out there is a gray, cold atmosphere and throughout the first 2 minutes the colour doesn’t visibly change, this is used to affect the audience by helping them envisage actually being there.

5. This shot is effective due to its use of crop that hasn’t been harvested or collected and sets the scene as this opening scene is definitely based on farmland. It also begs the question of why this hasn’t been taken off the land when the weather is clearly winter/spring.

6. In this mid shot there is the first introduction of a character, mid shot is used in particular so as to show the characters emotions but also so we can see that his surroundings is the doorframe of a house. His emotions portray anxiety and possibly expectancy; this creates interest for the audience as we are left wondering what he could be looking out for.

7. This shot could be a POV shot as the angle is low and just before this we see the man looking up to the eves of the building. It is also a low angle shot and this is effective as this gives the illusion that it is possibly hanging over the onlookers head and is therefore dangerous. This would also seem strange to the audience as not many buildings have a bee hive present on the side of them, which means it could have been placed there by the director to show clear warning that this place doesn’t warrant visitors.

The opening two minutes are there to generally set the tone of the film and also to give little insights into the surroundings, showing a desolate unkempt place and as more pieces are shown the audience will start to wonder why this place had been abandoned.

Useful For

- showing how lighting affects interepretation. This bluey lighting works well. We use to use broght lighting to establish our tone.
- the use of sound, which helps create the atmosphere.

Analysing Film Openings - This is England

Analysing opening sequences – This Is England

1. In one of the initial shots of the film ‘This Is England’ we see a slightly pixelated image of Margaret Thatcher. But the image is a younger version of herself from in the 1980’s, when the film is set. This shot is from the point of view of someone watching a TV screen as this is footage from that decade. The shot is positioned to create nostalgia for some viewers whilst others may not recognise this. This whole two minute opening is an overview of the events that occurred in the 1980’s.

2. Shot two is also from the point of view of a TV audience it marks the wedding of Prince Philip and Diana. This shot is bringing controversy to the opening as the marriage was not successful and famously ended in divorce. This is also an important shot as it was a momentous part of history.

3. This shot shows a protest which was taken in real time by most likely a news crew; it is a ‘real’ representation of things that actually happened back then. This positions the audience to feel for the protestors and show sympathy for their situation. This is also effective as it is controversial by showing only their side.

4. This is a mid shot and a group shot, which is effective because it shows the emotion on the young woman’s face in the middle and the policemen’s faces. Throughout all these shots being played there is an upbeat song playing consistently and this sometimes detracts from the violence seen in some shots and creates a deliberate juxtaposition.

5. Shot 5 shows crowds of people trying to push past police and this show the rivalry between the police and public and the tension within society, shot 4 also shows this. This shows the audience the troubles that the government had with the public and the great lengths they took to keep order.

6. This shot is a close up shot showing the end result of the fighting/rioting on England’s streets. This shows the severity of what happened.

The opening of this film highlights many key points in 1980’s history whilst showing antisocial behaviour, it is informational to those who haven’t seen what occurred.

Useful Because:

- We are taking an almost montage approach in our opening, showing a lot of different scenes to create an overall impression, and this is helping me see how this works.
- The credits are interesting - it is difficult to read the bottom ones. I would have thought they might have changed the colour - but at the same time these credits are meant to be subtle. We need to plan for where ours will appear so they are on a contrasting background.