Film Opening Research By Warren Reilly

Costume Drama

•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL2yPFxBQQ4

GWTW Screen Shots

• An Example of Classic Costume Drama is the epic (1939) historical romance film “Gone With The Wind”. An American adaptation from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel and produced by David O. Selznick.

• In the first 2 minuets of the film the director purely focuses on the beauty of the landscape in which the movie is set, romanticising the natural elements with an addition of dramatic mood setting music that adds to the

feel. A sweep is also used to introduce the title.

• With various classic old fashioned films showing the credits at the beginning of the film, the opening immediately introduces the institutions and technical elements that have allowed them to create the film such

as “Selznick international in association with Retro – Goldwyn – Mayer” and “Presenting its Technicolor production of…”. The credits also introduce the author of the original novel as well as any producers, editors,

main stars or actors, designers or creative directors and so on.

• In less then 10 seconds the director is shown to the audience with the use of creating a sign that resembles that of the period, instantly ploughing in the institutional elements that are to be granted recognition.

• The credits are placed over moving pictures to establish any main stars and the important names that helped produce the film such as costume designers, set makers editors etc. With the editors using a wild western style

typography to indicate the setting of the film (Set in the 19th-century American South)

•http://putlocker.bz/watch-anna-karenina-2012-online-free-putlocker.html

AK Screen Shots

A collection of screen shots showed in the opening sequence of Anna Karenina. In

comparison with Gone With The Wind, the classic, old fashioned film uses a variation of

very fixed shots only use the very basic establishing type shots to indicate the romantic and naturally beautiful landscape in which the film is set. However, the modern example of

costume drama film immediately tells us where the story is set with text telling us the country

and year in which the characters are placed. This means that the director does not have to waste time showing where the film is set and they can then take the audience straight into the action

or story of the film.

• Comparing Gone With The Wind with the 2012 modern Adaptation of Karenina, there is a clear difference in structure and form in the opening sequence of the film. The movie uses a variety of different camera angles

and shots such as wide shots, close ups, mid shots, establishing shots. • Where as Gone With The Wind uses only establishing shots of the scenery,

Anna Karenina uses a short shot that uses the stage to tell the audience where the setting is and what year and changes quickly to the start of the story, providing a much more interesting opening with a wider variety of

cleverly flowing shots. • However, both films use fonts that are suited to their countries of origin, GWTW using wild western style typography where as Anna Karenina uses

eastern European style font that echo's the feel of Imperial Russia.

Anna Karenina

Horror

•http://putlocker.bz/watch-insidious-chapter-2-online-free-putlocker.html

IC2 Screen Shots

The opening sequence of insidious chapter 2 uses the codes and

conventions of modern horror film by using eerie music, menacing font and

slow panning of the camera to create a slow build up of tension.

Insidious Chapter 2

• With a classic example of modern horror, The 2013 Canadian-American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan, the film sticks to the usual

conventions of Modern Horror.• The film uses various examples of peripheral vision in its filming with a collection

of eerie sound and special effects to emphasis the horror and unsettling story. • The opening sequence uses special affects to create the effect that the text fades

away with trail similar to that of a spirit to indicate the idea of the living world and the spirit world.

• With very slow camera panning and a collection of shots such as medium shots, over the shoulder shots establishing shots and close ups, the unique way in

which the film is edited fits the genre perfectly, in a way that allows the beginning to establish the growing tension that is eventually broken at the end of the film.

Establishing Genre

• The opening sequence in a film is very important to both the film director and the audience as this is the most crucial time in which interest must be created. If a film

does not capture the audience interest within the opening of a movie, it always normally means that they will not be captivated by the rest of the film.

• In order for film makers to establish the genre of the film and the story which the film is telling, the film makers must follow a certain code of conventions that is

associated to each genre type. • For example a costume drama film is a period piece. This means that the director

must ensure that elaborate costumes, sets and properties featured in the film must capture the ambience of the particular era in which the film is set.

• Horror films often feature scenes that startle the viewer symbols of death and the supernatural are frequent themes. Which means that the sub genres of fantasy,

supernatural, and thriller may also relate to a horror film. • If the director of the film does not follow the codes and conventions of each genre

of film, this means that the audience will become confused as to what type of film they are watching and effectively are falsely lead.