Preliminary Task: Embedded Video

Movie Opening Timelines

Film Opening Timelines

Film Opening: Monsters Inc (2002):

Film Opening: Toy Story (1995):

Film Opening: Halloween (1978):

I think this work is going to help me with my opening because it helps me get a better idea of what titles go in which place which will make my opening look more professional and will make it look like an actual movie.

Student Opening Film Analysis

Innocent Until Proven Guilty Analysis

Genre:

For the genre, we can see that this film could be an action film, this is because of certain aspects such as the clothing of the characters. They're wearing army type uniform and bulletproof jackets which has connotations of action and perhaps gun fights or some sort of fight. The fact that they're wearing bulletproof vests suggests that they're in need of protection from someone/something which has connotations of the fact that they might need to fight to protect themselves which means that this film could be an action film. During the phone call, we can hear gun shots being fired and a person talking in a worried manner, this can tell us the genre because gun shots means guns are being fired which means that someone is trying to kill someone which has connotations of violence which is always included in action films along with the person screaming in fright down the phone which shows the genre could be action because its adding to the tension that is already being built through the gear the person is wearing and the situation that they're in. Another genre that this film could be is a thriller, this is because of the atmosphere that the characters are in, they're surrounded by abandoned buildings which has connotations of a thriller because a lot of the time in thrillers, there is a lot of run down/derelict buildings. They'res not a lot of very vibrant colours or objects throughout the film which has connotations of darkness and sadness which is always included in thrillers because it has a lot to do with the mind and psychological problems which are shown through dark colours and frightening images.

Editing:
Throughout the film, there are a lot of cuts and the editing is very fast paced. This could suggest that its trying to show energy or chaos which is always included in action films. The fast paced editing can help the audience get excited and makes them interested because a lot of things are happening in such a short amount of time so it makes the audience try and keep up with whats going on which keeps them focused on the film so that they don't lost track of the story. Fast paced editing is also used to keep the film exciting and stops the audience getting bored by using a variety of different shots and showing them all in a quick time frame. We can also see who the most important character is, this is shown through how much screen prevalence they have and who is in the beginning and end. The main character is shown at the beginning walking through the open field and we know this because the main characters generally show up in the beginning of films and have the most time on screen. We see he has the most prevalence throughout the opening and there is only a small amount of shots that he is not in. We also know he is the main character because he is shown in the beginning and at the very end in the establishing shot. The fact that there are no transitions other than cuts can be used to suggest the harshness of the opening because there is straight cuts. This adds to the tension of the film because its cutting straight to the point and letting the audience know what is happening straight away and the shot's duration are very short which adds to the tension and conveys action and urgency.

Camera Angle:
In this opening, there is a beginning long shot of the character walking through an opening, this is good to use in the beginning of a film because it shows the environment that the film could be taking place in and could be used show the audience the surrounding area which can be linked to the characters feelings or the meaning of the film itself. There is also a lot of close up shots of the characters face's which can be used to show their emotions of feelings about the situation they're in. This is good to show in a film because it helps the audience understand the characters so that they can perhaps envision what is going to happen to the character in the future and it can help get an understanding of what the characters are going to do before they do it. There is also a tracking shot of the character walking through the area. this could be used to show what the character is looking for and what they're having to do in order to find what they're looking for. It also helps keep the character in the shot whilst also showing off more of the scene and because the camera is following the character from behind it could be used to show the characters point of view whilst keeping them in the shot. Another reason why the camera could be tracking the character from behind could be used to convey ideas of paranoia because the character doesn't know they're being followed and it could suggest they are paranoid or in danger because someone might be following them for a reason that might not be known until later on in the film.

Mise En Scene:
During the entirety of the opening, we see that both characters are carrying guns, this is conveying danger and violence because guns are weapons and weapons are used for killing and doing damage which is tied in heavily with violence. The weapons could suggest that someone is going to be killed in this scene or seriously hurt. The fact that these guns are black can add to the tension and has connotations of darkness and mystery which is clearly shown in the opening because not much is shown in the opening. The clothing of the characters has connotations of fighting and violence because they are wearing bulletproof vests, this could be used to signify that they are needing to protect themselves from gunshots which has connotations of death. It could make the audience question what the characters are trying to protect themselves from which keeps them interested because it gets them excited for a fight or a battle. One of the characters is also wearing a ski mask which can show that he is trying to cover up his identity, this helps add to the audiences interest because they want to know who it is and what he has to do with the story, it keeps them excited and makes them want to carry on watching the film because they want to eventually find out who this person is. The location can also add to this, the area is really run down and abandoned, this could be used to signify the story or the characters lives. The story could be about a run down area with people like these characters killing each other. It could also have connotations of the characters minds and what they're going through or thinking about someone or the position they are in. The area is very dark as well with low key lighting. This can have connotations of mystery and anticipation because they're could be something in one of these buildings that have links to the story which could have major significations. The buildings make the audience question how they got into the state that they are and what they're doing in this film and do they have any significance to the characters or the story ?

Titles:

The titles are of a very simple font. This may have been used so that the audience don't get too detached from the scenes that are taking place during the clip. Its very small as well and this helps because it doesn't take up too much space and does not get in the way of the characters faces or any of the important objects in the scenes. The font was probably made simple because it fits with the story and atmosphere of the film. There is no major complicated items or objects in the opening so the font goes well because it is not very complicated. If the genre was different, such as a comedy, the font would be more bubbly and colourful, but in this case the genre is action/mystery so the simple, boring font fits in well with what the genre of the opening is. The title 'innocent until proven guilty' can show that the film may be about someone who has committed a crime or been framed for something that they didn't do and this is because 'innocent until proven guilty' is used a lot when someone has been accused of doing something and it means that until they have been found to have not done the particular thing, they will carry on being held responsible. This suggests one of the characters has either done something or been accused of doing something that they perhaps haven't done and they are trying to prove they're innocence throughout the film.

Character:
The protagonist is shown at the very beginning walking through the field by himself, it could suggest that he is alone through the entirety of the film and the fact that he is walking through an open field could suggest he is on a journey to find something that he has been looking for for a while because the field is so large and he has to look in a large space which will take time. The fact that all of his clothes are black could have connotations about his personality, the black could represent how he might be a mysterious person due to black being associated with mysteriousness. It could also show that he has a scary or fearful personality because black is also associated with something that is scary and made to make people feel fear. The antagonist who is wearing a ski mask could have a very mysterious and anxious character, this is shown through his ski mask. It suggests that he may have committed a crime of some sort or he may be trying to hide himself from society or someone specific, most likely the protagonist. The two characters are both carrying guns which shows that they would not be afraid to kill someone which shows they are daring and fearless because guns and murder are punishable and the fact that they are rebelling by this shows that they do not care and are willing to get themselves into trouble.

Sound:
The music in the opening helps build a lot of tension in the opening due to its low pitch strings and sets the scene for the opening which is to make the audience feel tense and it gives a dark feel to the opening. Another important moment is when the music is playing and it stops as the protagonist holds the gun to the antagonist's head. This is a good moment because the music stopping at such a crucial point helps get the audience excited for what is about to happen and it makes them get on the edge of their seat because they're so eager to see what happens. After this the characters start fighting and a high pitch string sound begins to build up in sound, this is being used to excite the audience in the fight scene and it helps them question who is going to win in the fight.

The positives of this opening are:

• The well thought out fight sequence
• The eerie location
• The costumes the characters are wearing
• The music in the opening 

The negatives of this opening are: 

• The narrative is fairly generic 
• The title being too long, it could have been shortened, the phrase is too common as well

This will help in the making of our opening because it shows that just because its a student film and it hasn't got a huge budget, doesn't mean that we cannot make a film just as good. 

What Makes A Good Student Film

• Dont re- invent the wheel, make sure your film follows some generic conventions and do not try and create you're own genre.
• Make sure the camera work is steady and not shaky unless its being used purposely for an effect
• It has to flow -  For the film to be good it has to have a good story and it has to flow and cant be confusing for the audience
• Dont show the whole story in the first two minutes 
• Focus a lot on mise en scene - it should look like an actual film, not something thats been thrown together in 10 minutes 
• Make sure there is a variety of different camera angles, it cannot look the same and be seen from the same angle for the whole opening
• Make sure your titles are in the correct order and make sure they are in font that fits your genre - you wouldn't want bright bubble writing for the titles of a horror film 
• Make sure the genre is clearly shown in the beginning so that the audience know what they're watching and know how to follow the story 
• Make sure the audio is of good quality, unless your doing it for affect, don't go outside when its windy because you wont be able to hear the characters and its not pleasant for the audience to listen to 
• Dont try and re create certain things yourself, for example, if you're scene is in a restaurant, do not recreate the restaurant in your bedroom and kitchen, go to a local restaurant and ask for permission to film in there 

This will help our film because it lets us know what we should and shouldn't be doing so that we can make our film as good as possible.

The camera work is very steady, the tracking shot from the bottom following the feet of the character is very interesting and intriguing as it makes the audience wonder where he's going or who he is. Mise has been taking heavily into consideration and hasn't just been thrown together in 10 minutes. There are a variety of different angles, including a tracking shot and a match on action which helps the viewer get a perception form both characters towards the other.

Independent Research On Movie Openings

I have done some research into movie openings and i have decided to look at the order in which the titles go in for film openings

Here is the most important structure for film opening titles:

1. The credit roll typically begins with all the major companies that were involved in making the film

2. Next is the people are the most important contributors to the film, typically the main stars within the film will be shown at the very beginning

3. After the stars, the most important people who helped make the film that aren't actors/actresses are shown, typically with the least important starting first and then going to the most important.

An example of this would be the opening credits for Back To The Future (1985) :

If you have someone on the list of contributors who had more than one role, you do not list their name twice. You have to merge the credits into one credit and place by the credit roll for the most important position. An example would be if some directed but also produced the film, then you would credit them as the director because its a more important position in film making compared to a producer. So if you have two roles, you credit the most important role to the person.

The most common film opening credits are:

1. Production Company (distributor)
2. Production Company (producer)
3. Film maker (e.g. 'A Sam Raimi film')
4. Film Title
5. Leading Cast
6. Supporting Cast
7. Casting
8. Musical Composer
9. Costume Design
10. Associate Producers
11. Editors
12. Production Design
13. Photography Director
14. Executive Producer
15. Producer
16. Writers
17. Director

This will help when making our opening because it means that we know what order the film titles will go in which means we can make it look as much like a professional movie as possible.

In depth analysis of Terminator 2: Judgement Day Opening (1991)

In depth analysis of 

Terminator 2: Judgement Day Opening (1991)

Genre: 

In the beginning, we see a large explosion covering the entirety of the screen. This may have been used to emphasise the genre massively, the explosion has connotations of destruction and havoc which suggests that the genre of this film is Action. This is because most action movies will have some sort of explosion at some point in the movie, this is because it excites the viewer with its loudness and draws them in because its big and it gets in the viewers face because of the intensity and damage that something like this could cause, which is vital or action movies. After that we have the main actors title (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and the font is also hinting as to what this film could be about, its boldness and white colour could suggest that it is sci-fi or somehow technologically based because a lot of sci-fi films with advanced technology generally have very boring and bold font for the machinery which suggests that this film will have some sort of machine of advanced tech. Then we have the main title (Terminator 2 Judgement Day) which also follows this tech, sci-fi aesthetic of bold and dull coloured font which emphasises the genre even more and tells the viewer what this genre will include. The title itself even offers information as to what the genre is, the word Terminator has huge connotations of action and destruction because the word terminate means to 'bring to end' and this of course hints that death will occur in this film many times which shows the genre an definitely mean action. This is because action movies mostly have death in them to bring excitement and realism to the genre because in huge action sequences there is always death and if that were to occur in real life, it would definitely cause deaths.

Narrative:

From the images in this opening, we can see the narrative is about some sort of battle or fight that has devastated the world because of the images of the park covered in flames. This is because a lot of action movies take place in urban areas and cities and parks are definitely in these types of areas. This can tell us that this film may be a stereotypical action movie because of the destruction of a major city in the United States such as New York or Los Angeles. At the end, we see a robots face coming closer to the camera as the fire burns around it, this can tell us that this robot will have some sort of significance in the film because a lot of the time the main characters are shown in the film openings or are shown closest to the beginning as possible. The name of the film adds to the narrative because Judgement Day is the day of when the world is going to end, this means there will be some sort of dramatic ending to the film which can excite the viewer because they know they are going to be watching something with an exciting plot that will lead to this dramatic end of the world. The robot and the title can suggest that the robot has some sort of involvement in judgement day or the 'end' of the world. The park could also suggest that the main focus of this film is children or a child, this is because the majority of people who use parks are children and it would only be right to have it integrated into the film in one way or another, the fire covering it suggests that the child could be in danger throughout the film or may be hurt in some sort of way that is significant to the whole film and could open the plot to us in the opening. The fact that the objects in the park are moving in slow motion could suggest that this scene may be re appearing in the film at some point and it might mean that it is an important scene that needs to be shown in the opening so that the audience can identify that this scene is important to the movies plot.

Character:
The only character shown in this film opening is the T-800 at the end of the opening. The robot has such a human like face but is completely lifeless which has connotations that there may be some sort of disguising itself in the film as a human or it may be responsible for deaths in the film because it looks so lifeless and this suggests that it doesn't feel or have any emotions which then suggests that it will not hesitate to carry out murders and havoc towards people and the surrounding atmosphere. The fact that its the only character shown in the opening suggests that its the main character and the whole film will revolve around it and its actions towards the other characters in the film, either that or its going to have the biggest significance on the plot which lets viewers know that they can expect this character to appear a lot throughout the course of the film.

Sound:
The music also has a huge impact on this opening, the beginning drums create a lot of tension as they get louder and the reverb increases along with the memorable string piece from the first film. This tells the viewer that this film is going to be good because it brings back memories from the first film and lets them know how good the first film is which tells them that this film is going to be even better than the first. Having a main title theme that is memorable helps the viewer to keep the film in their heads and remember it every time they hear it which helps to the success of a film. At the end of the opening, as the robots face gets closer to the screen, the drums get louder which helps build tension before the movie starts which gets the audience excited about the film their about to watch, this is vital because it makes the opening exciting and enjoyable to watch which keeps the audience interested and also makes them want to watch the rest of the movie.

Title:
The name of the film is Terminator 2: Judgement Day. The word terminator means someone or something that is made or destined to end someones life or a number of lives or even the whole world. The title Judgement Day has connotations of the end of the world which links to genre and narrative but its a very interesting title because the word 'terminator' and 'judgement day' suggests that someone/thing is going to end the world in this film which can attract audiences because it sounds very exciting and has connotations of the main things that are included in the genre that it seems like it is.

Themes:
The main themes in this opening are death, destruction, violence, technology and worldwide chaos. This is evident through the images such as the flames, the park, the robot at the end that is looking into the camera.

This will help me in my movie opening creation because now i know how much detail goes into making a perfect movie opening and what it needs to include. 

Skyfall Opening Analysis

Genre:

In this opening, we can see that the genre could be an action film, this is evident through the many images shown throughout the opening such as the cardboard cut out of James Bond with blood coming out of it which signifies injuries and death which is commonly used in action movies. Another thing that adds to this is the graveyard of guns and knives that is shown, guns and knives have connotations of death and violence because in action movies, the main choice of weapon for the main characters are usually guns and knives which are used for either killing or causing serious harm to another person. Guns and knives do not have any good connotations so the only thing these objects can be linked to are negative situations and bad connotations. The fact that it is a graveyard too suggests this film is action because graveyards signify death and in action movies a lot of the time there will be some sort of death towards a character. This film, on the other hand, could be a mystery crime type film, this is shown through the images of shadows and dark atmosphere that is generally associated with mystery films. This is because shadows and dark lighting has connotations of someone hiding from something and it is shown through the beginning of the opening through the visuals of the underwater atmosphere which has low-key lighting and blue colours which can have connotations of a secret service or maybe the police because the police are sometimes referred to as 'boys in blue'

Narrative:
In this opening, there are some key things that can hint to us what the movie is about and what the narrative is. There are things in the beginning such as James Bond being dragged into a hole in the ground, could this suggest that someone is bringing him down or trying to bring him down and he has no way of controlling it? The fact that the hand is that of a woman suggests he is having relationship issues and a woman is perhaps bringing him down. The image of him going into the hole could suggest that he has somehow gone into hiding and is forced to leave everything behind and make a life somewhere else. This is evident because you cannot see where the hole is going into leads to, which suggests that he is going somewhere that nobody will know about and it could be a mystery as to where he is hidden. The image of him bleeding from his shoulder could add to this point because it looks as if he has sustained an injury which could be the reason for he disappearance. The reoccurring images of the graveyards could suggest that a certain part of him has died and that this film is recognising it and showing the new him and how he has come to terms with everything that has happened to him, so in a way it could suggest a mental resurrection is taking place and he has become a new man. The images of him shooting his own shadows adds to this point, it could suggest he is afraid of himself and he is trying to kill that part of him that he doesn't want anymore. The images of the multiple cardboard cutouts burning could suggest the many lives he has lived and the personas he has taken on and how they have all died out over time. The reoccurring images of women in this opening suggests he has most definitely had a lot of relationship issues in his lifetime and that his relationships have cause him to change and become different through every one he falls in love with.

Character:
At the beginning, we see Bond being shown as weak and vulnerable when sinking into the hole into the sea, he is also being shown as weak when the women's hand is dragging him down because its as if someone is helping him showing his vulnerability to certain things. He could also be shown as paranoid due to the scene in which he looks around with his shadows on the ground and him shooting them, this could tell us he is paranoid because he is constantly looking around which shows us his constant worry and stress of being killed by someone or becoming insane. The fact that he is one of only two characters shown in this opening can have connotations of his loneliness and that he is normally a quite person who keeps to himself and hides away a lot. Bond is also shown as a luxurious person through the posh suits he is wearing throughout the opening of the movie, this could also suggest that he has a posh and nice personality through the cleanness of his clothe and the way that he holds himself and looks. The other character on the other hand, could be shown as a dangerous person in Bond's life because of all the things she is doing such as dragging him down and pointing the gun towards the camera, she could be one of the reasons Bond is so paranoid with his life and she could be the problem that is in his life. Her image gives off the impression that she is manipulative and could be doing this to Bond in the movie in order to gain her trust.

Sound:
At the beginning, we hear the sharp, sudden violins being played as Bond falls into the water. This could show a sign of danger due to the snappiness of the violins being played at a high pitch when Bond falls. We also hear the song sung by Adele coming in with the emotional sounding pianos with the first lyric being 'this is the end', which is quite significant to be saying at the very beginning of a film. This could imply that it is the beginning of the end or that something has ended and something new is beginning for James Bond. It could also be foreseeing the future for someone which could be suggesting that someone significant to the story will die and that this lyric is hinting to the audience about what to expect in this film. We also hear lyrics such as 'feel my hear burst again', this could be suggesting that Bond may be going through another heartbreak and that he is wanting for someone to understand his pain and struggles through the years, the fact that the lyrics say 'again' implies that its happened many times in the past and that it is going to happen again which can tell the audience what to expect as well in this film.

Themes:
The main themes in this opening is death, this is evident through the constant flow of red throughout the opening which has major significance and connotations of blood which is related to death. We also have the reoccurring images of guns being fired and knives landing into a graveyard which has violent and death connotations because they are used to kill. We also have themes of isolation shown through the images of James Bond falling through the hole in the water by himself along with the images of him shooting his own shadow and him going on a journey by himself but this theme could also be self conflict because in a way he is killing himself by shooting his own shadows. The theme of love could be shown in this as well because women are shown throughout the opening and the constant flow of red could also have connotations of love because the colour red is associated with love (Valentines Day etc) so it could suggest that the love in this film is somehow dangerous.

This will help us in the making of our opening because it gives us more knowledge of whats needed to make a good opening and what aspects we need to add in order for it to look as much like a film opening as possible.

Differences And Similarities between 3 Movie Openings

I believe these film openings are going to help me when making my opening because it helps me understand what to include with my opening because i understand what certain genres include in their opening e.g. with sci-fi films, it will have visuals of space and technologically advanced things such as machines or spaceships but also has a lot of ambient music which will help set the scene. 

Film Name/Opening Sequence watched	Similarities	Differences
Catch me if you can	All of the openings are 2-3 minutes long. All of these openings feature a composition of music that last throughout the entirety of the opening. All of the openings give credits to the actors and production companies. Most of these openings are similar because they provide little to no obvious back story which lets the audience think a little bit more as to what the film is going to be about. The production company and director always comes first in these openings.	Production company and director comes before any of the actors names or other contributors. There is no live action events happening in this opening, it is all animated.
Terminator (1984)		Terminator shows the name of the director and then the story behind the film before going into any detail about the actors, production company etc. It then shows the name of the main character (Arnold Schwarzenegger). This is the only opening out of the 3 that features a live action scene.
Spider-man 2		This film is a sequel, so the events that happened in the previous film are shown through hand drawings and show some of the key events that take place in the first movie.

Differences between movie openings and movie trailers

The difference between movie openings and movie trailers are that the trailers give a basic overview of the story showcasing some of the main characters and some of the most important scenes from the film with a brief showing of the beginning. It is used to build tension and shows progression in time along with important parts that contribute to the movies story heavily. Movie trailers also include a lot of dialogue and music to build hype and anticipation for the films release.

An example of a movie trailer with these factors included is the trailer for:

Spider man: Homecoming:

In this trailer you can clearly see the main characters have been shown with a mixture of different scenes from the movie that showcase some important parts that may be significant to the movies story line along with up beat music to excite the audience. It also shows the release date of the movie which is always included in trailers along with the main companies that made the film and of course, reveals the title of the movie mostly at the end of the trailer. Sometimes there will be a small explanation of what the movie is about, for example, in the Kong; Skull Island trailer, every few seconds a word will appear which spells out the sentence 'We Dont Belong Here' which indicates whats in store for the movie. 

Movie openings are different because they barely have any dialogue and music, generally they would set the scene and list the main/important members of the production such as the director and some of the actors along with the companies that help produce the movie. Not much is said about the plot or nothing much is shown either so that it has room for the rest of the movie to be shown.
An example of a movie opening would be the opening for Spider-man (2002):

In this opening you can see the obvious factors of a movie opening such as the most important people and companies related to the film such as Marvel, Colombia and then the title. It then showcases some of the actors in order of importance so for example, Tobey Maguire who plays Spider-man will be shown first because he is the main character. After that we can see images of webbing and vague images of Spider-man being shown which showcases the main character and his environment but does not give away any important details before the film is even shown.