Thinking About Genre

I have looked at four different genre's of film openings and looked at how genre is shown in the opening scene and what conventions are used. This is to help me decide what genre of film I would like to create and the sort of style it would need to be in.

28 Weeks Later (2007)
This film is a Horror/Thriller movie and this is shown very clearly through the opening sequence mainly because of the following:
- low-key, dark lighting indicates the horror genre as only candle's are used for lighting.
- the absence of music increases the tension and suspense is then increased by a beating sound.
- the themes of panic, fear and zombies are all common in that of horror's and/or thrillers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHf6Th-E3kE

Chariots of Fire (1981)
This film comes under the genre of Sport History and Drama and there are good indications to the time period it is set in, the plot as well as the genre itself.
- the clothing is old-fashioned and the characters are wearing sportswear which reflects the genre as well as the time of the film.
- the settings are also fitting with the time period such as the large manor house and enormous grounds that surround it.
- the music playing has a sense of achievement to it and is quite joyful reflecting the runners and could be a potential theme throughout the rest of the film.



Love Actually (2003)
Love Actually is a Romantic-Comedy Drama which is somewhat reflected in the opening sequence however the comedy element is more difficult to pick up on.
- The images of people hugging their loved ones as they return home conjures the romance element and the feeling of happiness and joy.
- the gentle, calming music and the voice over discussing love and happiness also indicates the romantic genre using the quotation 'Love Actually is all around'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsnruVriVYw

Spiderman 2 (2004)
This film makes it clear that it is a fantasy action drama movie withing the opening title sequence using the following conventions:
- It tells the plot of the first film using cartoon images which reflect the 'comic' style which emphasises the fantasy genre
- The music and images of fighting emphasise the action genre and make the film seem very serious and busy.
- There is also the themes of a hero against some kind of villain whilst protecting a woman who is the victim which are typical qualities in the plot line of a fantasy movie.

Reservoir Dogs (1992) and The Butterfly Effect (2004) - Film Openings

Reservoir Dogs (1992) Opening Sequence

In order to become more familiar with film openings of different genre’s I have looked at the opening sequence of the film Reservoir Dog’s. The whole mood and tone of the opening make it very clear that the film of the Gang/Gangster genre as it has quite an intimidating atmosphere about it as we see a large group of men together who look like troublemakers. The costumes used in the piece are particularly important in the set up of this atmosphere and the characters in the opening. We see a group of men who are mostly wearing some sort of suit and some wear dark glasses and are smoking cigarettes which lead the audience to see them as a ‘gang’ who are quite intimidating. One of the men also wears a chain around his neck which is used as a signifier of the gang genre as it is very stereotypical of the ‘gangster’ image.

The sound in the opening sequence is quite a cool, rock style soundtrack which fits with the action of the opening sequence and makes the atmosphere feel quite ‘cool’ and suave and sets up the characters to seem very manly and cool. The music however is quite old fashioned and is incongruous to the genre of the film but does still add to the cool and somewhat relaxed feel of the group which seems to put them in the position of the ‘top dog’s’ and gives a sense of power. The exterior setting of the street also adds to the intimidating feel of the sequence as it is only those characters we see which introduces them the be the main characters and the street is empty which makes them seem very unapproachable and reinforces the idea of power and authority. The setting is also stereotypical to that of gangs and therefore reinstates the genre of the film.

The narrative of this sequence is very linear and invites some questions as to what will happen next as a film opening should do. For example, we see a group of men walking but there is an air of mystery about them and we are led to ask questions about who they are and where they are going to. It seems that they are ‘on a mission’ as they look focused and as if they know where they are going and what they must do. The titles in the opening sequence uses a font that is very simple and plain which reflects the characters we see as they too seem very straightforward and focused. The titles appear by very smoothly rolling up from the bottom of the screen which emphasises that smooth, controlled element that the characters give off and the use of the colour yellow signifies power because it is bright and gives the impression of standing out and being noticed.

The Butterfly Effect (2004) Opening Sequence

I have looked at the opening sequence of a different genre of film to analyse the differences in how things are presented according to the style of film. The elements and tone of this opening sequence make it clear that the film is perhaps a psychological, sci-fi drama as the atmosphere that is very mysterious and serious and so we are intrigued as to what is happening. We are introduced to one main character, a male who is dressed in what looks like a hospital robe and who seems to be running and hiding from someone. This costumes acts as a signifier that perhaps the man has an illness or will be spending time in a hospital of some sort and his hiding indicates that perhaps he has done something wrong.

The narrative is very linear and leads us to question what is happening and who this man is and the girl he is hoping to ‘save’. The frantic, fast paced editing adds to the feel of mystery to the opening and the use of sound also shows this mysterious feel. There are some quite sci-fi sound effects at the very beginning which indicate the genre as well as the up tempo drumming beat that plays when the man is frantically blocking the doorway of the office. This makes it seem as though there is some sort of chase going on and that perhaps this man is a criminal and it becomes quite intriguing, grabbing the viewer’s attention. The combination of the hospital robe and the office setting could also mean that perhaps it is some sort of psychiatric unit and that this male character is perhaps mad or mentally unstable. The letter that the man is writing also invites some questions as he is talking about something he is going to do ‘back at the start’ and that perhaps he is going to die and with this accompanied by the music, the psychological-sci-fi genre is emphasised.

The sequence begins with the logo’s of the production companies, New Line Cinema and Film Engine which is very typical to the openings of films. It is then followed by a quotation called the ‘chaos theory’ which explains that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly can have a huge effect somewhere else making it clear that the narrative of the film will be related to that in some way.  The simple font and transition of the titles means that they are not distracting in anyway however the film title itself is brought about by the words ‘save her’ with transforms into fluttering butterflies and then transforms again into an image of the brain which indicates all the elements of genre and narrative. The simplicity of the words ‘the butterfly effect’ shows that the film is very serious and fits with the genre.
(0:00 – 2:00 minutes)

By looking at these two contrasting genres, it is clear that there are strict differences in how the films are created. There are the obvious differences like sound and narrative along with the differences in costume, setting and atmosphere which define the genre and style of the film.

Analysing the difference between a film trailer and a film opening

Casino Royale

Trailer

Opening

In order to establish the specific differences between a film trailer and a film opening, I have looked at the trailer and opening of the film Casino Royale. I have looked at the difference in how they set up genre, narrative, character, atmosphere, themes and setting.

When looking at genre, a trailer should make it obvious as to what category the film comes under for example, in this trailer, from the car chases and violence the film is clearly of the action genre whereas in the opening sequence it is only hinted that the genre is action as it could also possibly be a thriller or detective type film. This is because a trailer is to advertise the film to draw the audience in and therefore they need to have a clear idea of what genre the film is.

When considering the Narrative, the trailer makes the plot of the story clear showing us that there will be a chase involving violence between two men involving an important game of poker with some blanks left to be answered once the film has been watched. In contrast to this, the film opening should only introduce the plot which is shown by the animated men fighting and the iconography of the playing cards and roulette which hint the concept of a Casino. The Characters are shown very obviously within the trailer as it is clear that there will be three main characters: the two men in conflict along with the woman who are regularly shown throughout whereas in the opening it is only hinted that there will be one main male character who the plot will be about. This is because in the trailers the big Hollywood actors are shown throughout to interest the audience and to show off who will be in the film whereas the opening should only introduce one or two of the characters.

The atmosphere in the trailer is a lot more powerful that that in the opening as it is quite tense, full of suspense and danger whereas in the opening it is still full of suspense but not along with the tension we feel from the trailer. This is because the trailer shows a journey of emotions and moods whereas the opening sequence is only one scene and has only one type of atmosphere. The themes we see in the trailer are things like danger, violence, chasing, romance and gambling which are likely to be the common themes throughout the whole film whereas in the opening sequence the use of iconography of the roulette board shows the theme of gambling and violence is shown through the fighting and the guns.

In the trailer we see a lot of different settings like the casino, aeroplanes, and it is clear that it is set in another country whereas in the opening sequence it is difficult to determine a specific setting as the sequence is animated but we are led to assume that it is set in a casino because of the playing cards. The use of sound in the trailer uses the iconic Bond soundtrack as well as voice overs with give hints to the plot of the film whereas the opening sequence uses the soundtrack to introduce the film. The trailer has the production company logos and the film title with the dates flash up at the end and a lot of fade to blacks are used throughout whereas in the opening sequence the actors names, director and production companies all come up throughout and the title ‘Casino Royale’ comes up at the very start which is opposite to the trailer.

Analysing the difference between film trailers and film openings

To establish the difference between a film trailer and a film opening, I have analysed the opening of two different films and a trailer in terms of genre, narrative, character, atmosphere, themes, setting, sound and titles.

Film Trailer
- Title at the end of the sequence
- Usually fast paces editing with transitions
- Main, Hollywood actor and directors name at the start
- Clear idea of genre, setting, historical period and tone
- Clear indication of plot line with some questions to be answered
- See all characters
- Use of soundtrack
127 Hours (2011)


Film Opening
- Cast, Crew and institution names
- Title
- Introduction of main characters
- An indication of place, historical period, mood and tone and genre
- Brings about some questions as to what will happen
- Film is set up

Catch Me If You Can (2002) Film OpeningGenre: Detective, mystery, drama, action

Narrative: Hiding and chasing, Iconography of the airport signs

Character: Two main characters, one man being chased, the other chasing him, detective characters and smaller characters like airport workers etc.

Atmosphere: Suspicious, suspense

Themes: wealth, chasing, imitation or forgery and crime

Setting: Iconography of yellow taxis shows America, airport, hospital, city setting

Sound: old fashioned style, 60’s instrumental style adds to detective feel

Titles: production companies, director, main actors names, title followed by more actors names.




My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Genre: comedy, romance?

Narrative: wedding, friendship, bride catches own bouquet ...something will go wrong?

Character: bride, groom, bridesmaids (three friends)

Atmosphere: happy, light-hearted, feminine, not modern, perhaps 50’s/60’s musical style?

Themes: Iconogrpahy of wedding – dress, bridesmaids etc. love, men, happiness, friendship

Setting: studio, pink shows it is not serious, perhaps a Mickey-take, musical style

Sound: singing about love and how to treat a man, shows themes and narrative

Titles: curly writing like a wedding invitation