Analysing 3 Opening Sequences

Before watching examples of opening sequences from different films we came up with a list of functions that we thought every opening sequence should include.


Opening Sequence Areas Of Interest:

• Introduce location/environment
• Introduce main characters
• Production company
• Title and credits
• Establish style or tone of the film

Opening Sequence 1
Office Space
In the opening sequence straight away the production company is introduced (Twentieth Century Fox) and it shows the title of the film. The text used for the credits is quite fun and bubbly and a light blue colour is used which gives us the impression it's going to be a cheery, lighthearted film. The audience are introduced to an outdoor setting which shows a busy traffic jam. The camera focuses on the main character, and different shots are used to emphasise how slow he is moving. 0:58 seconds into the clip he notices that an elderly man is moving faster than him which adds humour and confirms the genre to be a comedy. The opening sequence continues to show different characters/personalities and at 1:54 into the clip they focus on a stereotypical geek character who is listening to rap music but slowly turns it down when people walk by, which adds a humerous touch to the clip and establishes it as a lighthearted comedy. The upbeat music starts playing straight after the production company is shown, (0:25) which makes the atmosphere relaxed and fun. I really liked how straight away it was easy to see what type of film it is, and the opening sequence was very effective.

Opening Sequence 2
Trainspotting
It introduces diferent set pieces quickly, and doesn't show the production company, unlike the other 2 opening sequences. An energetic soundtrack is used over the top which holds kind of holds all the scene together and links them. Throughout the opening a voiceover with lines of dialogue introduces the characters and is very informative to the audience. I thought this was a good way of drawing the audience in. Later on in the opening sequence, as the characters appeared on screen freeze frames were used of the characters in a certain pose which showed us a bit about there character. Also the names of their character appeared next to it.

Opening Sequence 3
Sweeney Todd
Deep music sets the scene and establishes the genre as a horror. A continious theme of blood is used throughout the opening sequence: in the title of the film, credits and flowing of blood from the top to the bottom of the screen. Like the other opening sequences it doesn't introduce characters, it introduces the scene and setting instead, which makes it stand out from other films. The whole opening sequence is shown through graphic titles, and they reveal the location of the film, showing pictures of old, dirty buildings and gutters, which are all things we relate to horror movies. It also gives us the impression that the movie is set in a suburb area. As the title of the film is shown the font gets bigger and the music gets louder for dramatic effect and interest the audience.