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.

Preliminary Task: Evaluation

I believe we displayed continuity well, this is because we had good camera angles the helped the scene keep its continuity. For example, when the interrogator is walking towards the door, to keep the continuity and to make sure the scene is entertaining, we had the camera zoom towards the door and show the door handle to show what was happening in the scene and to maintain continuity and make sure the audience are focused on the important things within the scene and it helps them get an idea of what is going on within the scene.
















After this we display more continuity by showing a match on action scene. As the interrogator walks through the door, it cuts to an inside shot if the character walking through the door. Because the only current angles we side views of the interrogator, the match on action helps the audience get a better idea of what the interrogator looks like and who they could possibly be. It also shows the characters face and the facial expressions which is good because the audience get a better idea of what the character is like and what importance they are going to have in the future in the movie.

We also used the 180 degree rule because we wanted to show what the scene is going to be like from each characters perspective. This helps contribute to continuity because it shows different angles at a quicker pace which keeps the audience interested and shows them the two characters talking and what type of characters are by their facial expressions and the words they are saying. These different angles help show a variety of skills and show the audience that the movie will be full of interesting and eye catching scenes and angles within those scenes.









As a group we worked together very well because we all knew each other well and we all had the same type of ideas which helped develop them and we all contributed to each others ideas which helped make them better and made the overall film look better and made the filming experience better and more enjoyable.

If we were to film the movie again, i think we should have added a larger amount of different angles and filming techniques. This would have made the film a lot more enjoyable for the audience because they get to look at more angles and it keeps them interested instead of seeing the same angles and techniques over and over again. I think we could have added more locations and potentially some different transitions which helps add to continuity as well because it becomes more entertaining instead of seeing the same cut over and over again. I think we could have had a better script and made it longer and had a more detailed story, not much was shown about any of the characters and the audience would have got a better idea of who the characters were and why they were so important.

I have learnt a lot about technologies whilst making this film. From making this film, i have learned how complicated it really is to make a film and also difficult it really was in order to make the film look good and how to make the camera angles look good and enjoyable for the viewer. I also learnt how difficult it was to operate a camera and how each part of it works and how to make it work whilst setting it up with the tri-pod.

Overall, the filming experience was great but challenging and i had fun coming up with a story with the group and contributing to different elements and helping make things better and developing the ideas from small to big.

Preliminary Task: Post Production

During the filming of our movie, there was some difficulties such as finding the right angles and being able to fit the tripod in the interrogation room because it was a fairly small room and fitting it inside was difficult and on top of that, finding the right angle to film from was increasingly difficult but we overcome it and it ended up being a great filming experience.

The outside filming was a lot more easier because there was much more space to place the camera and find better angles to film from. It was a quicker process when filming outside because we had a stronger idea of how we wanted the shot to look and where we was going to put the camera. Filming inside was more difficult but because we already had ideas from the storyboard, we was able to get on with the filming quicker and the angles came out great.

We worked really well as a team because we all came up with the ideas together and there was no disagreements but we all expanded on the small ideas we had and we put them all together into one and that's how the film came out. We also had ideas whilst we was filming and some of them were implemented and some were not, we all agreed on everything and it all turned out good because we developed each others ideas and decided which role each person was going to have with ease because we already knew which parts we wanted to do.

The picture below shows the camera we used and the tri-pod. As you can see it is fairly big which is why we had more of a problem filming inside the interrogation room. We made the legs of the tri-pod smaller which gave us more space and gave us an easier time of filming.

As the cameraman, i found the filming process great and fairly easy but challenging, picking out the right angles and filming them correctly was difficult but with the help of the rest of the group, it became an easier experience filming the scenes were enjoyable and a great learning experience.

Preliminary Task: Script

Chris | Interrogator
Joe Fisher | Interrogators Assistant
Conor Mulhern | Person being interrogated
Joe French| Cameraman

Script
(Camera rises up from an object in the foreground, be that a tree, bush, etc. interrogator walks in from the left hand side of the scene. [Nothing can be heard apart from the wind blowing.] Interrogator walks to doors, doors open, [footsteps can now be heard, as well as a heartbeat sound] interrogator walks down corridor, the camera cuts to the inside of a bag, [heavy breathing is now heard]. The camera will keep on cutting between the two scenes until the interrogator reaches the door to the room. Interrogator pulls bag off the person’s head as they look around rather frantically)

Interrogator: Alright?
Person being interrogated: Yeah I’m alright

(Interrogator chucks paper on the table, writing can be seen on the paper but cannot be read)

Interrogator: So, who gave you that insane amount of money?
Person being interrogated: The guy who I know who knows a guy
Interrogator: What is that supposed to mean?
Person being interrogated: You tell me.

(Goes silent for about 2 seconds)

Interrogator: You’ll be going away for a long time whatever you say, we know what you did, we just need to know where you got your funding.
Person being interrogated: I got my funding from halfway across the world so I don’t know why you’re standing in here and not out there.

(Loud huff from the interrogator)
(Bag is placed back over the persons head, interrogator walks out of the room)