Famous opening sequences.

James Bond - Spectre

Elements of narrative

In the first fifteen seconds of the movie James bond is pictured holding a ring with a symbol on it. Because the symbol is repetitively shown through out the clip we are able to realise that the films narrative will be based on this symbol and its meaning. We are also able to identify the main character (Daniel Craig-James Bond) because of how much he is shown in the first three minutes.

Sound

In the first part of the opening sequence the non diagetic sound of the recognisable James bond theme song is played. Because of its increasing tempo and volume it adds tension and gives the viewer an insight to the genre of the film- action.

Audience

From this short clip we are able to identify that the target demographic of this movie are males between the age of 15-50. The use of male gaze in this short clip appeals to men as it is portraying women in a view they would most likely be interested in. A male viewer may watch this movie as a form of escapism.

Text

No text is displayed in this opening sequence. This may be because Daniel Craig who plays James Bond is instantly recongisable and so credits are not necessary until the end of the film.

Mad Max - Fury Road

Text 

The text displayed is bold and in capital letters. This implies that the films genre is sci fi/action. The text also appears to be rusting, suggesting a harsh setting. Some other text is written in red connoting violence implying that the film is likely to involve brutality. One of the first names to be displayed is Tom Hardy. This is an example of star theory; where a certain actor will be put in the spotlight of a film to attract people who are fans of this actor to watch the movie.

Elements of narrative

From the setting we are able o establish the narrative. The setting of the movie is a derelict post apocalyptic waste land. This suggests that the narrative is based around a disaster that has happened and people trying to survive it. Because the main colour used in this opening sequence is blue, the idea of the film being part of the Sci-Fi genre is further reinforced. 

Sound/ audience

In the first four seconds of the movie we here the non diagetic sound of Max's voice saying "My world is fire and blood" from this we are able to conclude that the films genre is action/sci-fi. This suggests that the film may be targeted at a male audience between the ages of 18-40 who may watch the film as a form of escapism.

Institutional elements

Kennedy Miller is said to be the company that produced the movie. Because the company is the most internationally famous Australian film producing company, we are able to recognise that the film is going to be made to a high standard.

The perks of being a wallflower

Setting/Audience 

The setting of the first scene is in the main characters bedroom. He is pictured at his desk writing. The target demographic for this film are teens between the ages of 12-18 who may watch the film as a form of identification.

Sound 

Throughout the scene we here the diagetic sound of "Charlie" speaking. This is very typical of the "coming of age" film genre, as it makes the film seem more personal and makes the character appear more relatable to teenagers. For example when Charlie says " Tomorrow is my first day of high school forever... and i need to turn things around" a lot of teenagers can identify with this comment.

Elements of narrative

Because charlie says "tomorrow is my first day of high school forever" we are able to realise that the films narrative is going to be based around him and his experience at school. However because of todorov's theory we are able to recognise  that something will happen during his time at school which will cause a problem for him in which he will have to fix.

Deadpool

Audience/ institutional elements

The first image displayed in the opening sequence is the marvel logo. This means that the film is gong to be an outstanding quality and most likely feature a super hero due to its genre being action. Because of the genre it will be aimed at a male demographic between the ages of 12-30. Twentieth century fox produced the film. Similarly this also tells us that the films quality is going to be high due to the fact that twentieth century fox also produced similar films such as wolverine and X-Men.

Text

The text displayed is humorous saying things such as "featuring a moody teen". Because of this we know that the film is a comedy as well as an action movie. All the text is a bold white. White has connotations of purity and innocence, however, because the movie is also a comedy it might suggest that this colour is used ironically.

Elements of narrative

In this opening sequence an image is shown of a fight scene. From this we know that the narrative is going to be based on the binary opposition of good vs bad. The image shown of the superhero "Deadpool" reinforces this conclusion.

Sound

The non diagetic sound of "angel of the morning" is played throughout the opening sequence. This is a romantic song however, because the film is a comedy we know any romance involved in the film is going to be cast in a humorous light.  The lyric "just call me angel of the morning" in particular reflects the character played by Ryan Reynolds. It suggests the character he plays is a character who doesn't take himself too seriously but is vain in thinking he is an "angel".

Ferris Bueller's day off

Sound/ audience

The non diagetic sound of the radio, and the diagetic sound of Ferris' mother calling him puts the viewer in the shoes of the main character; Ferris. Therefore the target demographic of this film must be people who can identify with Ferris; teenagers between the age of 11-18.

Text

All text displayed is blue. Because the colour blue is usually a more masculine colour, we can easily identify that the protagonist is a male.

Elements of narrative

From this first scene it is obvious that the movie is going to be based around Ferris and his ability to fake an illness. Because of Todorov's theory, eventually we know the equilibrium of his easy days at home are about to be disrupted.

Institutional elements

Paramount Pictures are the company who produced this film. Because Paramount Pictures is consistently ranked one of the "big six" film studios of Hollywood we know that this film is going to be made to a high quality. We also know because of the past films that Paramount Pictures has produced that the film will contain a popular actor in order to attract people to watch the movie.

Superbad

Sound/ audience

Through the conversation that the two protagonists have we can tell that the film is directed at a male demographic between the ages of 12-30. This might be because a male viewer may be able to identify with the characters and have had similar conversations with their own friends.

Props/ Elements of narrative

From the opening sequence we are able to realise that the films equilibrium is likely to be disrupted by the two friends going to different universities. The car used is old orange and beaten up. This is significant because portrays the protagonists as outcasts. This may be a key element of the narrative and may contribute towards the disruption of the equilibrium.

Opening

I particularly like this opening scene. This is beaus i thought it conveyed the conventions of a coming of age film particularly well. I thought it successfully engaged the audience it is aimed at by using situations in the film that teenagers may be able to identify with.

Guardians Of the Galaxy

Sound/Setting

The diagetic sound of the old music playing in the hospital suggests that the film is set in the past. However, because the films setting suggests a more futuristic time, we know that the films is set in the future but features old songs from the past.

Audience

The target demographic for this movie are sci-fi lovers between the ages of 12-50. This is because the film features Chris Pratt who stars in a lot of sci fi/action movies.  Because of the retro music used an older more mature audience may also be interested in this film.

Text

The "Guardians of the Galaxy" film title takes up the whole of the screen. This paired with the old music gives the movie a very retro video game- like feel. The text is also yellow which connotes that the film is likely to be a comedy due to yellow suggesting happiness and joy. The font used is bold with sharp edges, this suggests that the film is set in the future.

Elements of narrative

This film will be set on the binary opposition of man vs machine. We know this from the way the camera focuses on Chris Pratt's character and the tube of light he discovers, we know that the film will likely be based on him (man) protecting the cylinder (machine) which is likely to be destructive.

An Education

Audience/ Setting

Because the film is set in the school, we might expect the film to be aimed at a demographic between the ages of 11-18. However, because the cast is predominantly female we expect the target demographic to be teenage girls. They may watch this film as they can identify with the characters that star in it and relate to the disruption in the equilibrium that they face.

Breakfast Club

Setting/ audience

The film is set in a school. This is significant because it suggests that the film is of the coming of age genre. This means that the film will be directed at teens between the ages of 11-18 who can identify with the characters in the film because of the similarity in events in the characters life, and their own life.

Sound

The non diagetic music playing has the genre of modern rock. This genre reflects the nature of the film and the characters in it. This is because the modern rock genre is that of a rebellious nature and a carefree attitude.

Juno

Sound/ narrative

The non diagetic sound of the music has lyrics which link with the narrative. The lyrics reveal that the movie will contain a romantic relationship. However, because of the childish metaphor "sweet honey bee" we know the relationship is likely to be between two young naive people. This relationship  could be the cause to the disruption in the equilibrium. The music however is also upbeat and comical. This might suggest that the film is a comedy as well a a romance. 

Text

The texts font is handwritten. This adds to the childish nature of the film, whilst also making the film appear more personal. The colour of the text is pink. Pink has connotations of love once again reinforcing that the film is a romance. Also, pink is perceived as a feminine colour revealing that the main protagonist is female. 

Audience

The film is aimed at a female audience between the ages of 11-19. This is because the content in which the film deals with can have the most affect on people these ages. They might watch the film as a form of education, or a form of escapism.