Task 1: Famous Opening Sequences

This is the opening scene of 'American Pie'.

The production company etc are shown on screen at the start, this is found in every opening sequence.
The dialogue is quite a messy and informal font, like it has been hand written. This makes us think that the film is going to be quite funny and laid back and that the target audience is young people.
From the opening scene we don't get much of an idea about the narrative of the film however it is obvious that it is a comedy. We are introduced to the main character. This is very important because these are our first impressions of him
The music isn't dramatic but is funky and relaxed which allows the audience to relax and enjoy the film. The music is not serious.


This is the opening sequence of 'Skyfall'.

This is a very action packed and energetic opening scene. We don't see an text on screen but we do see a lot of violence, which shows the film is aimed at adult and teenagers, not children.
The soundtrack is used to great effect. It is quite sharp and quick, loud music which makes it dramatic and grabs the audiences attention. It uses the trademark James Bond music which everyone associates with the James Bond films. The music insinuates that the film is going to be action packed and will keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
I like the quick start to the film as it really sets the tone for the rest of the film and suggests that it's going to be a quick pace. The opening sequence gives away quite a lot of the narrative compared to others, as we see which character is the secret agent and which character is the enemy as well as what they are fighting for.


This is the opening sequence of Jaws.

In this opening sequence we see Chrissie getting eaten by a shark. The music in this scene is very clever as it slowly builds up to the climax. It stars off slow and quiet but soon get faster and louder. The music creates a big dramatic effect and gets viewers on the edge of their seats. The camera angle is also used effectively, with some of the filming under the water in the point of view of the Shark.
There is no text in this opening sequence.This first two minutes of the film really sets the scene that the film is going to be very gory and scary and it looks as though the film is aimed at young people as in teenagers because of the gore.
I like this opening because its very dramatic and action packed and grabs all of your attention.


This is the opening sequence of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

In this scene Ferris talks to his parents and manages to get the day off school. Although there isn't loads of action it sets the scene of the film. Not too much is given away about the narrative of the film   and it is kept open to interpretation and to make the audience want to watch more. The dialogue shows the name of actors and production company. The font of the text is quite cartoony which shows the target audience are young and that the film isn't a serious film. The font suggests that it is going to be a quite light hearted film and funny rather than scary.




This is the opening sequence of 'Breakfast Club'.

The scene starts with a voice over of a man reading a letter he has wrote. This voiceover technique is an effective way to explain what's happening instead of text on the screen or just someone reading something out. It gives information.There is also chilled music in the background which is laid back instead of dramatic, implying the film isn't a horror and is going to be easy to watch. From the opening scene there are elements of the narrative revealed, as pupils gather at the school, and the voice over tells us why they are there although not too much is given away.It's also obvious that it's a comedy coming of age film as there are elements of humour shown.



This is the opening sequence of 'Juno'

This opening sequence is clever because it combines real life footage with cartoon drawing animations. This is a simple concept but is very effective and indicates that the production company might not have a big budget to do something more complex. The music is quite country and sets the tone of what the film is going be like, where it is set and the characters involved.
There is text coming up on the screen with the production company, producers and actors etc. The text is very cartoony which suggests it is for a young audience and is a light hearted film. Extremely little is given away about the narrative of the film as there is no dialogue and not much action happens.




Learning comments

What i have learnt about great opening scenes is that they all use different conventions to set the scene of the play. Music, dialogue and other techniques are used to show what the film is going to be like and make a great start to the film. Music can be used to add tension and dramatic effect in thrillers or make the audience relax and start to enjoy the film if it's a comedy or coming of age film. The text shows the target audience of the film and what it's going to be like and the actions of characters hints at the narrative of the film and what to expect.  The amount of narrative shown in opening sequences varies a lot however it is usually not a lot because the audience doesn't know the characters that early in the film. Opening sequences can be a really important part of a film and play a big role in it being successful.