Tombstone- western opening scene

Tombstone is a 1993 film written by Kevin Jarre and when watching the opening scene there is a lot you can notice on how they manage to draw you in and represent the western film genre using various filmmaking techniques. 

With a rapid start, we’re hooked in straight away, with the dialogue “they call themselves the cowboys”. The grey ‘tape rolling’ over the picture tells us that the movie is likely set before the 19th century. The gun shot sparks our attention and before you know it there’s an establishing shot of the men on their horses, in a line, riding in the horizon. The soundtrack is intense to begin with which tells us there is danger and that these men are probably more villainous than heroic. As they get closer the sound of the horses’ hooves become louder and we can see that they’re cowboys. We are intrigued to see where or who they’re travelling to.

I’m guessing it’s set in the 1800’s in an American state where cowboys originated. Tombstone is a place in Arizona so we’re given a hint in the title of the movie. The scene moves between two different settings until they meet, juxtaposing each other with sound as well as place. The way it’s been edited, it looks as if the cowboys are travelling to the setting of the beautiful, little town/village where the people are just going about their day

The tone conveys and element of dangerous, hectic masculinity that dominates the screen which contrasts to the peaceful, harmonious village surrounding themselves with music and food. The other characters' facial expressions tell us they're in danger- also done with an eyeline match of what they're all reacting to. at the end of the scene, what looks like the leader has a cheeky, proud look on his face, portraying his evil.

how you can tell it’s a western film;

-   The hot, dry weather in the sand gives a ‘wild west’ implication

-   The cowboys are a stereotypical aspect to a western film

-   The costumes they wear; boots, hats, tassels, chains and neck scarfs as well as their creepy moustaches

-   When they approach the man just married you notice the distance between them is comical and replicates the typical western film scene e.g. ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’

-   I think we as an audience connote sand, sun and that dry, dusty weather with a desert or deserted place with western movie

-   Quick camera duration also implies it wasn’t filmed recently due to the quick gun shots and less advanced ways of shooting a gun shot.

We can outline a leader in the red shirt due to his mannerisms and how there’s an unspoken hierocracy within the cowboys. All other characters seem unimportant to the narrative apart from the groom. I assume he has some unfinished business or has had history with the man he’s come to either kill, we can tell these cowboy characters are the bad guys as it resulted in a mass killing of what look like innocent people. Through these two men’s feud suggests a possible narrative for a backstory of why. Maybe he continues to search for his enemies and kills them. The storyline could also follow the opposing gang who fight against the cowboys.

I think it’s likely to be a successful film- not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’ but I believe it was successful in engaging me and had me questioning the main cowboy’s intentions. I think the camera movement captured the intensity of the scene and editing created a nice juxtaposition when exaggerating the harm the cowboys bring.

 

Researching Roles in Production

I am researching these roles of production as I will likely be doing my opening sequence coursework in these roles and so will be beneficial to understand the workings behind the main roles of filmmaking. 

The Director oversees all that goes on in the production department. They will work with the production team to make sure that the workflow, and quality of filmmaking is all up to his/her standards. They will ensure the end product is fit to their idea and to what they think the audience likes. Normally, the rest of the team run their ideas, problems, or questions by the Director. Martin Scorsese, a famous American director,  is a very well known figure in Hollywood and as well as directing, he is a producer and screenwriter. He is known for directing Taxi (1976) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) so has had many successes. `

A camera operator is the one in control of the camera's movement, they capture all the shots and basically carry out what the director invisions for each shot of a scene/movie.they are responsible for setting up the equipment, as well as framing the footage. The camera operator should know every technicality to the camera itself. An example of a well known camera operator is Roger De
akins who is an English cinematographer known for his immaculate work in the films; 1917, Sicario, Blade Runner 2049 and more. To be a good camera operator it’s advised you have a good perception of visual composition, perspective and movement with the camera. 

The art director/ director of photography (DOP) differs from the camera director in that the DOP works through the director's eyes and is rarely the one actually operating the camera when it comes to it. They are supervising a team of camera operators doing the filming. They’re the ones capturing the art in the picture- the director's desired intention for the audience's viewing. The art director/ DOP ,Steven Soderberg, is known for his work in Ocean’s 11. He is also known for his other roles in filmmaking like directing, producing and screenwriting. Advice given to be a good/ successful cinematographer would be to have a technological as well as creative work ethic. Understanding the picture you’re creating; what colours, camera movement, lighting, depth etc. Feeling confident and comfortable in your artistic decisions.

The producers have a large role in the filmmaking industry as they are the person responsible for hiring; the director, the writers, and the creative team (DOP). They organise the financing of the movie and oversee all points in production right up to the release. From finding to launching a film the producer makes it all happen. Quite a famous film producer like David Heyman, founder of Heyday films, has the rights to the Harry Potter franchise as he went on to produce all 8 instalments. He’s also currently producing the new Wonka movie with Timothee Chalamet.

Being a producer you should have knowledge of media production, knowing who your audience is and how you want your film to be perceived. You should be able to take criticism and use it to your advantage, tying in with being flexible to change.

Comparing Titles

 

Within the opening title sequence of Grease, you can establish the genre after watching the funky, 50’s style animation, introducing characters and the main roles behind the production of it. The use of soundtrack is upbeat and positive and suggests it’s a musical, the ‘as’ in the titles also reminds you you’re watching a movie, that actors are playing characters. The song actually has the word ‘grease’ in it which ,again, fits the musical theme.Within the first minute you can guess there will be some romance as the male and female leads are introduced first. 

The tone of this opening is fun and energetic. It has a colourful style of animation, the over exaggerated character drawings, for example, (his chin and his crazy hair) adds a comedic tone as well telling us it's likely to be a light hearted movie. 

We can guess it’s set in the 1950’s due to iconic history events and people such as; Elvis Presly, Maroline Monroe and James Dean on a poster. The clothing (although animated) is very 1950s style and there are quick snippets of jukeboxes and old fashioned cars which also tell us it's the 1950s. We can guess that cars will feature or have some importance in the film as they appear quite frequently in the sequence. They cleverly display the opening credits on the billboards in the street and beside it they have old fashioned movie adverts and old looking buildings. 

It’s definitely set in America from the American accent on the radio at the beginning to the American celebrities. There are other factors that give this away like wearing their own clothes to school (no uniform) and the American flag colours that roll by in the montage. For most of the characters it starts in their bedrooms, decorated with their high schools’ logo, celebrities, the ‘pink ladies’. The location then fades from an animated picture of their High School to the actual school where it takes place. The use of fade adds importance to the high school as it’s where we can imagine most of the film will take place. 

Based off of the title sequence we can guess the following will be included in the narrative:

• 
  Highschool

• Teenagers 

• The beginning suggests romance between the juxtaposed male and female leads

• Groups/ gangs/ cliques

• Maybe some conflict in their differences 

• An element of rebellion 

• Differences in gender ‘Pink Ladies’ and the ‘Thunderbirds’

Danny- we can imagine he is the group leader. He seems lazy, messy, vain, rebellious. We know he’s the main character as it starts with him, he even presents the word “Grease”.

Sandy- she seems very feminine, wealthy, kind, beautiful, slightly naive. I’d say they have incorporated Laura Mulvey’s ‘male gaze’ due to the see through nightgown and getting out of bed looking perfectly made up. There is a ‘disney princess’ vibe to her as she has birds and animals helping her get ready.

The rest of the characters are mentioned but with slightly less importance as they don't have as much screen time. 

In contrast, the American Horror Story opening scene is completely different. From just the title we can already establish the horror genre. The quick cuts make us feel very uneasy, especially accompanied by the discordant soundtrack and sound effects making us uncomfortable 

There is a lot of darkness within the opening. Showing us glimpses of shadows lurking, iconic horror imagery like; skulls, blood, knifes, creepy old fashioned photos. There is an eary tone and with such short duration on each picture it keeps the audience engaged while revealing possible narrative hints. There is a common theme of children/babies which is seen as innocent and sweet but turned sinister due to how they’re presented (one of the pictures put in a X-ray font). In comparison to Grease there is no happiness and fun, only fear and darkness.

It tells us little about the time period. It could be either modern or old, a sort of ‘past and present’ theme. There are references to black and white photos but that doesn’t specify when we are. We could guess it is nighttime due to lack of daylight. 

The location looks like a basement or cellar in an old house. It’s also likely set in America given the title. It doesn't tell us much about the narrative but there are certain hints of characters and potential mystery. We can imagine there’s a killer or psychopath who’s curated the disturbing objects in the room. The specimen jars give us an element of science or experiment however,the baby in it is horrifying. In the opening there is a POV shot with a flashlight as if someone has found the room and is searching for something or someone. It makes us worried for this unknown/ unshown character who is now possibly vulnerable to the killer, we assume. We see a white dress falling - is that metaphorical? Symbolising a girls death? It’s typical of the horror movie genre to victimise women or little girls but clarifies that we’re watching this to be scared. There are subtle hints at the narrative and character such as murderers but it's done too quickly to notice. From this title sequence we are wondering what has happened, who has done it? And why?

Ready Player One- opening Sci-fi scene

 

Ready Player One is a Steven Spielberg movie, released in 2018 and when addressing the opening scene

there is a lot you can gather about the genre and hints at the narrative from the film making devices used. 

The setting immediately draws you in with a chaotic, unfamiliar layout. As it begins with the main character’s narration of his story, we become hooked on his character and the camera establishes the setting as he moves through his neighbourhood. They’re all using virtual reality which we see through windows of caravans and houses stacked on top of each other. 

As well as the unfamiliar way of living we see there are also drones delivering pizza which again suggests the futuristic style of film and we start to assume the theme of the movie. What I found engaging was how editors created the virtual reality world, switching from live action to animation when in the virtual reality world. We are introduced to the ‘oasis’ which is where we, as an audience, get dragged into the sci-fi fantasy of their virtual reality world.

As he states in his dialogue he was born in 2027, we know the film is set in the future after people ‘stopped trying to fix problems’. He later says he lives in Columbus, Ohio in 2045. He climbs into what looks like his hideout or secret place made from cars stacked on top of another (other illustration of a realistic future with cars in the past). The setting then changes, without him going anywhere, into the virtual reality world. We see a POV shot of what our character sees when he puts on the headset. To ensure the audience knows where/ what the oasis is, the dialogue explains the concept whilst introducing us to a new (animated) setting.

After watching the opening scene, we can establish aspects of the tone and genre of the movie:

-   The genre is sci-fi with a hint of adventure or action

-   A fictional concept in the future

-   The tone seems uplifting due to the music ‘Jump’ (Van Halen)

-   To contrast to the soundtrack, there is a grey/dull colour to the opening scene suggesting a polluted, machine oriented environment

-   The tone from the neighbourhood is chaotic and everyone seems preoccupied with this alternate life they create for themselves

We can also tell it’s a sci-fi due to:

-   The establishing shot of the city where people’s homes are jumbled together, surrounded by scaffolding  

-   The way the camera follows our character making sure to display the neighbourhood and how virtual reality is a key theme in this film

-   The music along with ambient sound juxtaposes the misery of the polluted area being covered up by electronic devices e.g. adverts on a massive bill board etc

-           The colours of technology they're using (contrasting with the plain colour scheme of their lives) are made up of blue’s, purples, and red’s

We don’t know much about any other characters aside from Wade, who we can assume is the protagonist of the film. We can also tell from the short camera duration on other characters (e.g. his neighbours) as well as little amount of dialogue, that they’re not as important. From Wade’s dialogue at the beginning he seems like a normal teenage boy living in a world he’s learnt to accept but there’s something intriguing about him to us, like he doesn’t agree with the system he lives by but it helps to lure us into his character. The story line could be all about what happens in the virtual world or how it changes them in the real world to fix their problems. Maybe it’s an identity cover up that soon everyone tries to reveal. It has many ways to go but I think it would be following Wade’s character.

I believe it could be highly successful if done well, which with Spielberg it obviously will. The concept of the virtual reality world being a place for people in the real world to escape to, is such a great idea as although it’s a fictional story it still relates to today’s world. Maybe it could be interpreted as a parallel to social media- how we create a new life/persona to escape the harsh realities of everyday life. Possibly that’s reading too much into it but the story has so many directions to go in that I’m sure will be successful as we can already see through the editing and design elements of the animation done so immaculately.

Titles

Titles are used in an opening sequence to introduce a film and the makers behind it. The key institutional information before you watch the movie.  

They are included to give credit to the people in the film making it and funding it. A title sequence often establishes the genre of the movie which is normally down to the fonts, colour scheme, and soundtrack used. It sets the tone and atmosphere of the movie, it can often suggest the location, time of the movie and even hint at the narrative.

The roles traditionally mentioned in the title sequence are who funded the film and the many makers behind it. There are usually 21 titles found in an opening title sequence in a set order.

These are normally the top 21, although they can change: 

1. money 
2. Production
   
3. Directors
4. Main star
5. film title 
6. Actor 1, 2,3,4,5
7. Casting
8. Costume designer 
9. Music
10. Edited
11. Production designer
12. Director of photography
13. Executive producer
14. Produced by
15. Based upon
16. Screen play (writer)
17. Director

Or for example:

A horror film

Certain features of the titles will clearly suggest the tone, narrative and genre. A horror movie like this stereotypically has red (blood) and black (night time) and will normally show you something creepy so you know the genre and are engaged.

Drive - Opening Thriller Scene

Drive (2011) - a film directed by Nicolas Winding, starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.

Straight away there is a fade from black to a map, the diegetic dialogue of the man we hear on the phone then draws us in. The main character, we assume, has a low voice that immediately grasps the audience's attention. The lighting is dark and atmospheric- it gives a hint of the narrative that our character is dark and mysterious. His character also lures the audience when he gives no reply in the car park. His silence throughout a lot of the opening sequence surprisingly makes it more suspenseful, especially when he's driving, it contrasts to the fast soundtrack and sound effects of the car and forces us to feel tense during the car chase.

It's night-time and begins in what  looks like a hotel room. We later see that it's set in florida from use of dialogue from his friend. It could be set in modern day but due to colours and lights could be in the 80's or 90's. The establishing shot through the window shows us it's in a busy city and hints at him going out since he has his bag ready and is talking to someone in a affirmative tone about his plans. The rest of the scene takes place in the car but cleverly finishes by him getting out of the car park (possibly at a stadium) and disguising himself as a fan - which he may well be as foreshadowed in the opening shot of the television with the game on ->

The tone of the scene is intense, suspenseful, often low lit which adds to the crime aspect- often happening in the dark. Lights that focus on main character's face when he's driving emphasizes his emotionless face during the dangerous situation he's in. The subtle, suspenseful non-diegetic soundtrack also hints at the thriller genre. 

The robbers costumes are very stereotypical. Balaclavas and all black clothes to blend into the nighttime. The camera angles are mainly made up of close ups on his face to capture his reactions or lack of during the intense situation. The sound effects of the engine and car speeding up also adds to the intensity. 

The character positioning of him facing the window, at the beginning, foreshadows where the car chase will take place. 

We can tell he's a getaway driver almost straight away as he hints it on the phone, he is un-charismatic when interacting with anyone else, and he keeps a low profile. I imagine he doesn't enjoy his job but is clearly a skilled driver and gets payed a LOT for it but I don't think he's proud of what he does. The rest of the characters have little importance in the scene as well as little importance to him. He says "anything a minute after that and you're on your own" which tells us he's only doing it for the money. He seems like he does this regularly as when he visits the garage to get the car he has others lined up and is friendly with the man like they've met before. 

I think it successfully engaged the audience and tells you a bit about this character we're following while hinting at a narrative. Maybe we see his story unfold- possibly what lead into becoming a getaway driver.  It could follow a linear narrative of his life from now on- maybe he gets caught or in trouble at some point. Maybe he wants to pursue a career in baseball but can't because of his criminal record.   

Scream- opening horror scene

Scream, directed by Wes craven and written by Kevin Williamson, is a horror movie made in 1994 starring Drew Barrymore in the opening sequence.           

The scream draws us in straight away but quickly contrasts to the blonde girl at home picking up the telephone. Her being alone in her house tells you she’s vulnerable. The first call seems innocent which we figure will change. I think what makes us scarred for her is the tone of this unknown man’s voice. He is calm yet sounds sinister and clearly calling her was no accident, she is trying to get rid of him politely which makes her seem more innocent, therefore creating the victim role. One moment I found drew me in was the camera angle, using the rule of thirds, where she is on the right-hand side of the shot on the phone and the majority of the left side is a glass door showing her reflection, this is where the audience becomes aware something could be watching her and we suddenly feel anxious for her.

The scene begins inside this girl’s house we can assume is somewhere in America due to her accent. She is in her kitchen and the camera follows her various movement through the house as she becomes more stressed. From the first scene we can guess it is set in the 90’s as was filmed in 1994 but also has a lower picture and sound quality than present day movies.

(Following the horror theme: she even references a famous horror movie whilst pulling out a knife and harmlessly playing with it, making the audience feel uneasy)

Immediately we know it’s a horror movie due to the use of ominous music and dissonant strings playing with non-diegetic screams, a thunder crash, and knife sound effects. The font of the title “scream” stereotypes a classic horror film opening and tells the audience a bit about the movie already. The sound bridge into the telephone ringing highlights an everyday object being made scary. The tone gradually builds as the telephone rings more and more and the creepy, male voice behinds it becomes more persistent. The tone of the opening also has an eerie silence but the dialogue from the man is being overly friendly and asking her personal questions like ‘do you have a boyfriend’ and ‘you never told me your name’. The tone then takes a turn when he says ‘because I want to know who I’m watching’ and there is a zoom in

The opening title “scream’ clearly shows you’re watching a horror movie with the red, dramatic letters along with the sound behind it. 

The camera shot and duration on the popcorn as the scenario grew more intense as she got more terrified. There was a shorter shot duration between; her, the popcorn, where she was running to around the house (locking doors etc) which exaggerated her panic. We also connote home as a safe place and the sequence turned that into vulnerability.

 

For the girl’s character, she is the stereotypical blonde girl, a vulnerable target. She seems simple and sweet and tries to be polite “take it easy” when rejecting the man on the phone. Although we never see the man on the phone, we can tell he’s the villain, the threat in this movie. His voice is deep and unfamiliar - maybe he’s a stalker or has followed her home but we imagine he’s watching her inside the house.  

Based off what we’ve seen, the narrative could be set on how the girl escapes this man on the phone. Maybe he finds a way into the house and torments her. It could be about how the man behind the phone does this to more than one victim and that’s where the ‘scream’ theme comes in.

I believe they have build the tension of the opening scene successfully. And it clearly represents the horror movie genre. It's not terrifying or gory but definitely gripping and that way it can reach a wide audience.