Main Task - 1 Conventions of an Opening Sequence

Conventions of film openings

Film 1: 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'

 

Details of Cast and Crew:

After 5 minutes during the opening of the film, an overhead/bird's eye shot of the train is shown, as the train goes past, the opening titles appear, leading onto the production of the film, the actors, and the director.

 

The film's title:After the opening film titles, of the production and the book that the film is based off of, the title of the film appears within in a wide shot of the train. This is then preceded by the credits of the actors and crew.

An Introduction to character or character type:All of the children of the family's names are not given until later in the film, except for Edmund, but it is evident that these characters are close siblings, each with different traits. The eldest boy is shown to be the protective, head of the group; the eldest girl is shown to be doting and motherly, her arm around her little sister though-out the train journey; the younger boy is shown to be rebellious and not on the best of terms with his brother, as when the elder goes to pick up his suitcase, he shrugs him off and picks it up himself; the younger girl is evidently the scared, naive little girl.

Indication of place:Although because of the character's accents and the country they're in, it is not obvious where in England they are, although it is assumed they are in London, as the opening appears to take place during the start of the Blitz. Through the train journey, it is evident the children are being taken away to the countryside, but where exactly is unknown until the end of the opening sequence, where the siblings are standing in front of a sign of the train station.

Indication of historical period:The opening consists of a family within a war, hiding in a bomb shelter while bombs are being dropped and the air siren is going off. We are then shows evidence of it being World War II, one the planes, the Nazi Swastika is evident and with the evacuation process of children taking place. The children of the family are shown to get onto a train, leaving behind their mother, along with many other children, the train leaves and during the opening sequence, when the train is in a station, a few children are shown to have the tags and are taken with the family they will live within the country. In relation to this, there is evidence of the evacuation, as the train goes though countryside, far away from the dangerous cities of the time the film is clearly set in. 

 

 

 

 

Information regarding mood and tone:
During the opening titles, the children are all shown to have forlorn expressions on their faces, evident that the mood is one of fear, curiosity, through the two youngest sibling's expressions during the train journey, and confusion, shown though the youngest girl's expressions and body posture during the train journey, on the edge of her seat most of the time.The mixture of both dark lighting and bright lighting suggest that the mood during the opening is dark and moody, but that through the rest of the film, the tone will be brighter than the tone of the situation these characters are in.

 

 

Information to signiture theme tune:

The music of the opening is a theme tune composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, a well known music composer for films and video games. This music used in the opening is titles 'Evacuating London', created using an orchestra  the composer has stated that he employed instruments used in ancient folk music to create 'colour' and to underscore the dramatic nature of the opening, along with the rest of the film.

 

Information about genre:
The genre setting isn't exactly set, as all we know of the film is that the main characters are four siblings evacuated from their home in the city to the countryside during World War II. All the the audience know, unless they are aware of the books and the story behind the film in the books,






 


Questions that the viewer finds intriguing:
Throughout the opening sequence the audience isn't aware of where the children are going, just aware they are going away from the city into the countryside.

Patterns and type of editing that will be echoed in the remainder of the film:There is quick editing between the faces of the characters, specifically done to emphasis the different expressions they all hold. There is also quick editing between the inside of the train and the outside, usually just after at least one of the chararacters is shown to be looking outside of the window of the train carriage.

  

Mis-en-scene and cinematography that will be echoed or elaborated upon, later in the film:

The Mis-en-scene of the film is evidently placed to set the time period the film is set in, around 1940. This includes the clothing of the children and adults, along with the accessories, such as the bags the woman is holding in the screenshot to the right, to the tags on the children, to the setting the film takes place in, such as the train station and the countryside that we are shown throughout the opening. The editing of the opening is both smooth and 'snappy' with quick editing specifically around the expressions of the characters, particularly the two younger siblings.

 

Film 2: 'Nowhere Boy'
 

Details of Cast and Crew:

During the opening sequence of the film, the titles of the cast and crew are shown during the actual film, when the characters are talking, doing actions and interracting with one another, but only when there is no main action, such as when John is cycling down the road with his friend. The production titles are shown in the opening sequence, along with the director, however the cast is not shown. This lack of cast and crew within the opening sequence can be explained in two way. One, during the opening sequence, the audience is meant to focus on the story, on the past life of John Lennon that is being told, rather than focusing of the actors and the crew as the film is that of a biographic film, rather than a fictious film. Two, the film was not produced by a 'big-named' film company, rather that of an independant debut of a director, because of this, the focus is not on the actors and the crew within the opening, but rather that of the story.

The film's title:

At the end of the opening titles, the films title is shown, the shot in which the title is shown is part of the opening sequence, which the ends at the end of that shot.

An Introduction to character or character type:

The film's main character of John Lennon, is shown to be a rebellious teen, evdient in the first couple of shots, as he is running away from something in a way that shows he had done something wrong. In the rest of the opening sequence, he is shown to get to school, do something and have to go to the headmasters office because of it. The introduction of the character is designed to show that of the real life of John Lennon and how he was as a teenager, taking aspects from his half-sister's writing of Lennon and that of what his friends, Paul McCartney and others, knew of his past.

Indication of place:

The accents of the characters show that the film is set in Liverpool.

Indication of historical period:

The mis-en-scene used to represent the characters shows the time period of the film, along with this, the knowledge that the film is that of John Lennon's past, puts the audience into the mindset of the mid 1950's.

Information regarding mood and tone: 
During the opening sequence, the audience is taken through different parts of the character's teen life, showing his home life, school life and general life. These all hold different moods and tone, within his home life, the character is shown the be happy, free-spirited with his family and easily laughs about, while are school, he is shown to be more rebellious and the mood is much more free-spirited and humorous, in his general life, the mood is a calm one, that of peace. Shown in the screenshot to the left. However as the opening sequence continues and the death of his uncle occurs, the mood and tone of the film drops considerably in comparison to what had been shown before. The comparison in mood between when John is laughing with his uncle, to when his Aunt comes home to say that his Uncle is dead, only a minute or so in the film, is amazing, as shown in the screenshots on the right, the lighting and camera angle is completely differnece. The screenshots are taken at 4:34 and 5:29.

 

Information to signature theme tune:

While there is no signature theme tune, the music played in the opening sequence is that of 1950's music, specifically Elvis Presley. This, first of all, sets up the whole film, Lennon's past with the Quarrymen and then The Beatles, second of all it sets up the teenage part of the play, as the music that is playing is what the teenagers of that time listened too.

Information about genre:

The opening sequence, through the speech of the characters, that this is a biographic film based on the life of John Lennon, the music choice and the mis-en-scene emphasis' that it is about the teenage life of the singer.

Questions that the viewer finds intriguing:

The viewer may find it strange how the opening sequence doesn't have any cast members or crew mentioned, which would make the viewer either want to watch the film to see the ending credits through intriguing them, or for them to look into the film itself. Something that isn't easily understood in the opening is the death of John's uncle, I as a viewer of the film, still don't understand this, therefore viewers have to go and do their own research into the life of John Lennon to find this out.

Patterns and type of editing that will be echoed in the remainder of the film:

The editing in the opening is that is quick cuts, somewhat parallel editing, and a cuting between time periods, between days. However this is all chronological still. As the opening sequence lasts for around 8 or so minutes, it is suggested that the rest of the film will be like the opening, the film will consist of parallel editing, fast cuts, especially around the faces of the characters. The pattern of matching the music/specific songs to the situation is also hinted to be echoed in the rest of the film. The screen shots below are taken in the same second.

Mis-en-scene and cinematography that will be echoed or elaborated upon, later in the film:

The use of music to set the scene is something which is evident throughout the opening sequence, the use of certain songs to set the mood, such as the Elivs Presley song played in the opening to set a face paced montage of John getting to school/being at school. Along with this, the clothing of the characters, which shows the time period, is something whic evidently is going to be featured through-out the film. The mood lighting is another thing, when John is happy, he is either outside, where the natural light is high, or he is inside and there is bright lighting, however when his uncle dies, it is night-time and the lighting is dark, lowering the mood, which is something that'd be echoed through-out the film, as shown in the screen-shots below.