Opening analysis: Goodfellas

Goodfellas was a 1990 critically acclaimed film written and directed by Martin Scorsese, it was produced by  Warner Bros and released in the UK on 26th October receiving a gross of £1.994.136 at the box office. The film won one Oscar courtesy of Joe Pesci for Best Actor In A Supporting Role and was nominated for 5 more including best director and best picture. 

The film has an 18 rating in the UK (R in the US) this helps the target audience which is predominately males from the ages of 18+ there is no specific age limit for this film as it appeals to all ages because of the action and violence and the time period is relatable to older audiences. There are icons in this film that relate to the stereotypical interests of males, these being violence and crime, however the long plot and chronological storytelling may appeal to older and more sophisticated audiences. A secondary target audience may be crime fans, who already know the story of Henry Hill and would like to see the story on the big scree. This film has a wide target audience. 

The first shot of this film is of the Warner Bros logo, which is the institution in which this film is from. Then the credits slide onto the screen quickly, They are written in a san serif font and white text on a black background, this is simple and connotes a serious tone and narrative for the film, the credits however only contain some of the conventions of opening credits. These being the studio, name of the film and lead actors. The acting credits are only for the most prominent actors within the film, as well as appearing in order of star rating during the era, Robert Di Niro appears first although he isn’t the lead protagonist in the film, this is Ray Liotta who appears second, Di Niro appears first as he rose to fame from Raging Bull (1984) and the Godfather part II (1974).

The opening to this film quickly and successfully introduces the three main characters and sets up their gangster/mobster archetype, this is already a direct indication to the audience of the type of characters to expect in this film as well as a inkling towards the narrative. The character make up are dressed in dressed down smart clothes, indicating they may be important people within the “mob”. The character use swearing within the dialogue which sets up a narrative for violence and aggressive themes which links in with the target audience, They are all introduced in a medium close up shot angled at Henry Hill with two other characters in the background, one in the passenger seat and one in the back seat, they appeared tired and withdrawn. The way the camera is positioned connotes that the character who is predominately positioned within the shot has the power in the scene as he is also seen driving. Also the use of non-diegetic voiceover starting a monologue that talks about the main protagonists ambitions and his perseverance which can relate to some audiences.

The location of this opening is a road, the mis-en-scene is dark and empty with nothing happening, this causes focus of attention onto the characters, as well as setting a mysterious and eerie atmosphere which draws the viewer in. After the first tracking shot shown on the car as it drives down the road, there is a cut to a black screen and the text shows New York 1970 which set’s the location well, as New York is a well known location within the film industry. This aids the viewer in setting the scene. Low key lighting is used a lot within the scene as it represents a dark and eerie atmosphere.

The opening sets up for a narrative and poses many questions such as Who are these men? and Why are they driving in the dark? A noise is coming from the back of the car and the three men go to investigate by pulling up at the side of the road, they are cautious when opening up the trunk. The camera slowly zooms into the trunk to create tension and create focus onto the trunk, there camera then cuts to see the three men stood looking tense and nervous. However the camera is at a low angle looking up at them connoting that they have the power over whatever is in the trunk. After the trunk is opened we see a charter whose make up is that of a beaten man, he is covered in blood, has bruises on his face and is breathing heavy, these are icons of violence, this connotes a narrative with a similar repertoire of elements and icons. All things seen within the scene are icons of crime films. The camera then cuts to a panning shot on Tommy walking over towards the body and repeatedly stabbing the man, again this violence is what viewers expect from this film as the icons signify violence and fighting. Tommy is leaned over the man indicating he has the power and the man is defenceless. After this Henry walks over and closes the trunk, the camera zooms into him confirming he is the main protagonist, and a non-diegetic voiceover comes on and afterwards a jaunty and lively song comes on which contrasts with the violence and is unconventional for this genre. The shot freezes on Henry in a low angle shot, this connotes his power and signifies the magnitude of his importance throughout the film and indicates that the film is a biopic of his life. 

Also the opening credits show a shot that says “This film is based on a true story” this helps engross the audiences attention more as they can relate to the film and take it more seriously as they know these events have happened. As for the older target audience they might be more relatable with this as they may have lived through the events..

In conclusion this is an extremely effective film opening as it engages the audience and will give them pleasure within the mystery and tension that Scorsese builds within the preferred reading he is trying to give. Although the opening is only 1:32 long it already showcases high amounts of swearing and violence, this confirms the rating of 18. It introduces the themes within the film and creates questions and an interesting plot that with engage viewers. 

Opening analysis: Zombieland

Zombieland is the 2009 film directed by Ruben Fleischer, it was released in the UK on 7th October and gained £3,001,207 at the UK box office, it was produced by Columbia Pictures and distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; The film received 8 wins and awards nominations including best horror movie at the 2010 Scream awards. It has been certificated a 15 and has a running time of 88 minutes.

The film is a mix of two genres, one being horror and the other being comedy, this appeals to two audiences with a preferred age range of 15-30. The film contains jump scares, violence and gore, it is a satirical film that pokes fun at original horror films such as 28 days later and dawn of dead. This spoof idea will appeal to a wider, comedic audience. 

The first scene shot in this film is part of a found footage scene, where the mise-en-scene is a war torn USA, where an USA flag is shown and a focus pull is used to show. Within in the scene fire, guns and overall carnage is scene, this connotes carnage, chaos and anarchy. The camera is shaky, and pans around the road. There is a low angle shot when a zombie appears, this shows that the zombie is dominant in this scenario, there zombies makeup is very bloody, battered and wearing torn clothes, this connotes a horror and thriller genre. The zombie moves in a limp manner, very stereotypical of zombie films. There is a non-diegetic voiceover in this opening, the use of this helps start up the narrative, there is mention of a “virus” which is a icon of zombie films.

This film follows the conventions of a movie opening as it contains opening credits at the start of the film, these credits are included within the scene. The credits typography are a red/orange colour these a connotations of fire, explosions and danger, this gives an indication to the narrative of the film. There are indications of the setting  within the opening, firstly the USA flag is the very first shot, strongly indicating that this film is based in America, furthermore during the credit sequence there is several shots of zombie attacks in different locations, showing that there will be more than one setting however they all have American icons, showing the film may landscape over america. 

During the opening there are two themes that are shown these being horror and comedy, for example, in the tips to survive a zombie attack there is a scene of a zombie stripper chasing an obese man, this is seen as a comedy element. Also one scene shows a man throwing up blood, blood and gore are icons of horror films, this counteracts the comedy element to solidify the horror/comedy genre.

Throughout this sequence it is difficult to identify the main protagonist within the film, the viewer would assume the person doing the voiceover would have a significant role within the film, what the opening of this film does do is introduce us to the main antagonists which are the zombies. 

The title sequence contains all the conventions of a stereotypical opening sequence, as it contains 

Title of film

Cast

Institutions 

Music

Costumes

Producers

Casting

Director 

Production Designer 

Director of photography 

Writers

The casts credits appear to come in order of acting status as Woody Harrelson is the most established and well known actor his name appears first, in contrast Abigail Breslin appears last as she in the least well known cast member.

During the sequence a slow motion effect is used, this gives a comedic effect on the film and helps capsulate the audience attention as thy are more poised to focus on the film, during the sequence there a range of camera angles and shots, the zombies, the antagonists always are facing the camera, with a direct mode of adress, this connotes that they are more important than the victims. There are close up shots, medium close ups and several long shots, these help establish the setting and characters throughout the film.

There is a non diegetic sound track throughout the credit sequence, the song is Metallica's For Whom the Bells Tolls, which is a well known song, it is heavy metal and fast paced, this gives a clue for the narrative, and will make viewers think this is a representation of the films narrative.

Overall this is an effective, conventional opening, although is doesn’t necessarily introduce the main protagonists, it still draws in viewers by having both comedic and entertaining factors, It works well as both a comedy and horror opening. 

Opening Analysis: The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is the second film in the Dark Knight trilogy that were directed and co-written by British filmmaker Christopher Nolan, the film was released in the UK on the 21st July 2008 and gained £11,191,824 on its opening weekend (UK) it was produced by Legendary pictures with association with DC Comics, who hold the rights to Batman, and it was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film won two Oscars, one Posthumously for Heath Ledger in Best performance by an actor in a supporting role for playing the Joker. The other Oscar came for Best sound editing. 

The target audience for this film is predominately males aged from 12 (the films official certificate) to 30 as the films has icons that present to the stereotypical male interests, this being action, violence and suspense. However another target audience for this film are fans of the Batman franchise, which dates back from May 1939, therefor this can relate to older audiences as they have been following Batman throughout their childhood. The target audience will be mainly middle and working class for this film as there is no social message or deeper meaning as it is based on a character that has been recurring for over 70 years. 

The opening institution credits are seen first. The Warner Bros. logo has been stripped of it’s infamous golden colours and replaced with a dark blue colour, this is the first shot a viewer sees and instantly connotes a dark film, with the non- diegetic soundtrack being a low sound with a dark tone reinforces the dark film convention. This also happens with the Legendary pictures logo and the DC Comics logo. There is then a fading transition that slowly reveals smoke coming towards the screen, then appearing a black Batman logo. This connotes that Batman, the lead protagonist may show a dark side in the film, drawing in the view and creating a mysterious tone. 

The opening scene for this film is 5:30 minutes long and follows a group of clown masked criminals perform a bank robbery, with the lead antagonist, The Joker, being revealed in the end. The first shot is a extreme long shot, and ariel shot. The came focusing on a large, modern building, this connotes wealth. The mis-en-scene of the shot is several high buildings and roads, the implies that the film will be based within a city, an viewer of the previous films, and or Batman fans, will already know this is Gotham city. There is non-diegetic incidental music that is quiet, but gradually gets louder as it zooms towards a window, the music creates a tense atmosphere, suspense and a feeling that something interesting is about to happen. The first cut goes to a man, dressed in all black wearing a clown mask and holding high-end equipment; the black connotes a robber, criminal and perhaps someone who doesn’t want to be seen, this is extended by the idea of a clown mask being worn, it connotes that he does not want to be seen, this relates to the secondary target audience of Batman fans, as it shows a link towards the Joker, the lead antagonist to the movie, this creates excitement for the view as the Jokers character was previously hyped up by the marketing of the film. 

There is a cut to a street corner that shows a man, holding a clown mask with his back facing the camera, this is a long shot as it shows the whole man. However his face is not revealed, this creates a mysterious atmosphere, the camera then zooms into the mask, giving a preferred reading the the mask is significant as a clown mask is an icon of the Batman franchise. Throughout this shot there in a incidental music that again creates tension and suspense. This is interrupted by the diegetic sound of a car screeching around the corner at this point the music gets louder and heavier connoting that it’s getting closer towards a significant moment. 

There are several quick cuts as characters starting preparing for a potential crime, there is a lift in soundtrack, it gets louder and lower, this is when two characters are zip lining over a road, this connotes tension and fear of the two characters. 

Within the car there is diegetic speech, one of the clowns is discussing the shares from a job,  this is now hinting that a bank robbery will occur, there are guns being loaded and aggressive driving, these are all icons of action films. The speech continues and there are references towards the Joker, it then cross cuts to another narrative where as two other clown robbers are discussing the same topic, this connotes the important of the Joker and builds up excitement and suspense to his inevitable reveal. 

The makeup of all the characters connote chaos and crime as their faces are covered and are all wearing dark clothing. On the other hand the scene is at day time which appears to be sunny giving high key lighting in the scene, this ironically connotes happiness, this further emphasises the chaos and mayhem that seems to be represented with the jokers character without evening meeting him yet.

As the characters pull into the bank there is a panning shot of the character running up steps, there is diegetic sound of footsteps. There is a cut to inside the bank where the soundtrack gets quieter as diegetic gun shots are heard as well as screams and shouting, this connotes chaos and anarchy. 

The bank connotes wealth, the clerks are all dressed sharply and smart this is an icon of success and represents the style and setting for the rest of the film. The bank manager using diegetic speech to say “Do you have any idea who you’re stealing from?” this further connotes wealth and that it isn’t a random bank, that the Joker has chosen this one especially, making the viewer think why, this engages the viewer and draws them into the rest of the film

At this stage the Jokers character is represented as a stereotypical antagonists in an action adventure film, he is seen as crafty, as he planned a bank robbery and extremely violent as he instructs them to take each other out. This is a negative representation the character. 

One of the last shots and most effective shots of this opening scene is a shot reverse shot with one character, the bank manager being a POV shot, this POV shot is used to show the magnitude of the Joker, a low angle shot is shown on the Joker to connote his power in this situation. The diegetic soundtracks creates a loud and low sound as the Joker pulls off his mask, this connotes the importance of the characters and fulfils the build up. Where as the bank manager is shown in a high angle shot that is also an over the shoulder shot of the Joker, this show the Joker is the dominant character, as he has low angle shots, the takes up the whole screen for his dialogue and he is included in the over the shoulder shot.

Overall this is an effective opening, as well as being quite unconventional, as it does not feature an appearance of the protagonist, although one reference to the protagonist it is not a direct one. It is also unconventional by not showing any credits, the stereotypical conventions of a film opening are credits either in the scene or on a back drop before or after the opening scene, and they usually name the Director, top billed cast, producers, writers, make up, costume designers, music and casting. None of these are seen within the opening 6 minutes of this movie, however this does not hinder the effectiveness or the opening. The opening creates a near perfect opening for the rest of the narrative, gives a wide range of shots that establish the environment, characters and power. 

Preliminary film.

Analysis 

We set out to create a short film, this was to include a variety of camera angles, shots, editing techniques and sound techniques, collectively we decided to stage a story where a student at a school is having problems and is confronted by a teacher which inevitably doesn't go so well. To showcase the power struggle between the two characters we introduced high angle and low angle shots. the low angle shot was predominately on the teacher, this shows her power of the student. As well as this we used long shots to establish the setting, over the shoulder shot to again establish more of the setting. We attempted to make a tracking shot however our access to the right equipment made this shot dip in quality, however we were resourceful and managed to get a tracking shot. We also used an extreme close up to show the entrance to the room. Furthermore we stuck to the 180 degree rule and used shot reverse to show effective dialogue between the two characters, thus not confusing the audience.

To ensure we had the correct shots and to help us plan we drew a 14 shot storyboard this provided us with the basis of what shots to use, as well as timings and camera angles. Our two actors were Frankie Connor and Alejo Monsalvo, this was quite successful due to their willingness to help in the short notice we provided them with, this could be shown slightly throughout our work, for future work we will ensure that we give more notice to our actors as well as briefing them more on positions, timings and dialogue which were key in the filming of our short film. 

During some of our shots the camera appears shaky, this will be resolved in future projects as we will have access to better equipment. Another problem we encountered was during the editing stage, which we used final cut express. at 0:28 the cut is not a fluent as we had intended it to be. This can be prevented in future projects by doing the same shot several times as well as filming longer than the initial action. 

We also discovered some problems when handling the sound, we used the intro to "Open your eyes" by Snow Patrol, this is long intro and doesn't contain any lyrics, we thought this would not interfere with the dialogue, also the tone of the song suits Alejo's characters situation and allows the audience to become sympathetic towards him. The difficulty we faced with the non diegetic soundtrack is lowering the volume towards the dialogue then raising it again to not bore then audience, this worked quite well, however did not work as fluently as we had hoped. To prevent this from happening in future projects we will gain a better knowledge of how to use the sound software. 

The aim of our film was to keep it short and simple, this is reflected in the credits, they are white with a black background, they are at the appropriate times however due to time restrictions we did not manage to perfect them in a way we would have hoped, in future we will work on time management. 

In my project I worked with Emily Roberts, fortuitously we worked very well together with Emily using her skills with shot types and direction with the actors, I was able to work the camera and eventually edit the shots, titles and sound together, working in a pair helped as we managed to combine our areas of strengths and did not disagree on anything.

Overall we are pleased with our first project, we managed to show that we capable of storyboarding, filming, editing and finalising a film from scratch, as well as gathering resources and people that were needed within such a time constraint and with limited equipment.