Research on film openings.

                                      Research on film openings

• In order to make a good film there are key elements that needs to be included which is mise-en-scene, character placement, representing genre, establishing shot and cinematography. Mise en Scene is a french term which means “place on stage”. This is with in a scene, everything captured in a frame is put there for a reason, and used for representing emotion and setting the mood. The certain costumes of what characters wear could tell the viewer more about the period it was set in, or the beginning of action/ events which are about to take place. Character placement is the scene that has a massive significant effect because it represents different relationships between the people in the film. The lighting in this scene is important as it shows the scene in a very natural way. Representing genre represents the opening scene without revealing too much during it, you still would have to establish genre. Cinematography is the way you present the footage is just as important as the content. How it appears visually is very important when creating an opening sequence. And lastly, the establishing shot is a simple feature which can draw the audience in and give them an insight into where the film is set, and some clues into the plot and narrative of the story. 

• Title sequences are a powerful expression of motion graphics. They are a prelude to the movie. They engage the audience by hinting at what is about to start, whether it’s a movie, TV show, or Web animation. The functions of a title sequence is to set the tone of the movie you are about to see. Even if you didn’t know anything about the movie you get a sense of the genre and pacing of the movie simply by experiencing the first few seconds of an opening title sequence. Title sequences are to engage and excite the audience by hinting at some of the topics, themes, and, in some cases, the challenges that characters will be facing. The intention is to build anticipation, sometimes revealing some of the main character’s traits and possibly setting the stage for questions that will be answered later in the movie. Title sequences create an emotional reaction from the audience, leaving them glued to their seats, waiting for more.

              Compare/ contrast conventions by genre

• Representation: In a drama or a horror film this would be an obvious stereotype in the opening scenes as in a unfortunate turn of events.
• Visual elements: Lighting, framing, composition, camera motion, camera angles, film selection, lens choices, depth of field, zoom, focus, color, exposure, and filtration.
• Character Development: In drama and in horror films some character types have in common are protagonists and antagonist.
• Auditory elements: In horror there are dialogue and music unlike drama and comedy where there are voice overs.
• Plot introduction: In drama and horror movies the plot is usually flash backs and flash forwards, while in comedy they use teasers.