There are no fixed rules in film openings, they all differ.Titles are often used in the first 2 minutes, actors/actresses names, directors, producers etc. Some have them all in the first couple of minutes where as others spread the titles out or don’t have any until a couple of minutes in, such as the 2008 film ' Twilight.
Brief Encounter - (David Lean 1945)
''Brief Encounter' starts with a Black and White image of New York with the words 'GFC' in Big white lettering and then fades into the production logo. Are film is going to be similar to this, our logo is even similar. Our opening clip is going to fade out from black into a long shot which is the same as Brief Encounter; it fades from Black into a long shot of a train pulling away. When the train pulls away then the title of the film comes on in big white serif lettering along with the director’s name, followed by actors and actresses names, still on the same clip. For the majority of the first 2 minutes it is just titles which are in contrast to ours, as ours is moving image. Another similarity is that Brief Encounter is in black and white, as is ours and they have non-diegetic piano music playing as do we. In the first two minutes of Brief Encounter there really is no anchorage into what the films going to be about as it is still focusing on the same image and we only got brief introduction into one character.Brief Encounter - The opening 2 minutesIt starts with a black and white scene of New York with 'G.F.C' in big white lettering then fades into production logo whilst non-diegetic music, big brass band, old music comes on. It fades from black into a long shot of a steam train pulling out of the station and moving away from the camera. Lots of smoke covers half of the shot which could signify mystery. The platform is deserted and is dimly lit by 2 overhanging lights but is backlit and there is still an after smoke in the air.When the train moves away into the distance, the Title of the films fades into the shot along with the director’s name above it in smaller writing. This is not common nowadays; the directors name is normally separated from the Title. Non-diegetic piano music starts playing. It remains on the same shot whilst the actors and actresses names come on screen, the font gets smaller as it goes along signifying they aren't as important as the ones at the beginning. The music changes into an orchestra, string music, more titles come on, composers, editors etc.After the last titles, a train comes into the platform, towards the camera and the music dies out.It then goes into a high angle shot of the train and then a medium -long shot of the a man who appears to be dressed as the conductor at his looks as his pocket watch when the train pulls in and his clothing, black blazer and waistcoat with a hat signifies he works at the station. It then goes into a long shot of the back of the train. The man then walks across the railway lines to get to the other side would could signify his position, that he’s allowed to do that and the time era, that it was more acceptable then than it is now.There is then a match-on-action shot where he walks through a door and then there is a medium shot of him on the other side and in the station cafe.
Opening 2 minutes of Romeo and Juliet - Baz Luhrmann 1997
InstitutionDirector: Baz LuhrmannRelease Date: 28 March 1997 (UK)Production Companies: Bazmark Films and Twentieth CenturyFox Film Corporation. Bazmark films have also produced Moulin Rouge and Australia.Music: Nellee HooperThe budget was $14,500,000 and in the opening weekend it made $11,133,231 in the USA on 1,276 ScreensNot filmed in Verona, Filmed in California and Mexico
Beginning of the clipPlain blank screen, small old fashioned T.V in the middle, the production companies are presented on the television screen like television programs, this is signified by the “clicking” sound which sounds like the channel is being changed.The prologue is shown as a news broadcast, this is denoted by the style of program that is shown, for example the news presenter and the picture in the right corner.The women starts taking in the Shakespearean language, this signifies that the film is set in the past.The language is in binary opposition to the modern day T.V. screen and news broadcast.The style in which the prologue is shown as a news broadcast could signify the film to be a docu-drama style.The prologue denotes that there will be “civil blood, which make civil hands un-clean” this connotes that there will be some violence in the film.The news broadcast finishes with the news reader saying “ is now the 2 hour traffic of our stage”. This quote could be anchorage that this film is based on a play and the word stage signifies this.The picture of Juliet's ring broken in the corner signifies broken bonds (in love)Second part of the clipThere is sudden non diegetic music when the camera moves closer into the TV, this makes the viewer feel like their going into the story. It could also be like a tape is fast forwarding.There is an extreme long shot showing the statue of Jesus Christ which is in the middle of the Montague and Capulet high rise buildings. This statue is a binary opposite to the modern building surrounding it. This opposition signifies that this film is trying to bring the religion from the original Shakespeare play and put it with the modern day world. This is also shown later when lines from the prologue are used as newspaper headlines.The cameras movement through the different “clips” of Verona is shaky, which suggests that it was filmed on a helicopter because most of the shots are Arial shots. This is further anchorage that the film is a docu-drama style.The monologue is the Priest repeating the prologue which is voiced over the clips of Verona and newspaper headlines.The family tree is shown and a blazing fire is shown after it, this could signify anger and death in the two families.Binary opposition between the words “fair Verona” and how Verona is being represented.Non diegetic music builds up to create tension and drama.Close up shots of some of the characters and the character names which also signifies a docu-drama style.Various clips are then shown in a montage which is narrative enigma because it creates mystery and makes the viewer want to know what is going to happen.
Some openings, especially nowadays use intertextual references to help identify the genre of their film. Others use post modernism, such as Romeo and Juliet which uses the T.V. to present the production companies.
Some openings are very fast-paced such as the opening to the 2008 James Bond film 'Quantum of Solace where as other are very slow-paced like Pride and Prejudice and Brief Encounter.
Atonement - (Joe Wright 2007)
It starts off with a black screen with the production company in small white lettering in a typewriter font, there is a diegetic typewriter noise in the background. When the Title 'Atonement' comes on letter by letter and the typewriter noise becomes more exaggerated.
It then jumps straight to a medium-close up shot of a model-doll house and the words 'England 1935' come on at the bottom of the screen in small white lettering. The typewriting noise is still going on. The camera then pans the room; it follows a line of toy, plastic animals which signifies it is a child's room. The camera then identifies the typewriter is a young girl, still typing, the camera moves slowly in, the typing gets louder and quicker, signifying that maybe she is mad. It then goes quickly into a high angle of the back of her head and the camera then pans to the side of her head then quickly goes into an extreme-close up of her eyes, so you can see her facial expression. The camera is still panning and non-diegetic soft, piano music starts playing.
The camera then goes into a close up of her hands typing, the camera then pans to the top of the typewriter and onto the paper, stopping on the words ' The end' which is a contrast to th film itself as it is the beginning of the film. The girl then rips the paper out of the paper dramatically and aggressively, again signifying that she is mad or in a rush, and places it on top of other papers. She then places another piece on top and the camera zooms onto it and identifies the girls name, it is then taken quickly away followed by the camera quickly going into a medium shot of her walking quickly towards the door, The camera zooms out at the same time turning into a long shot.
Our film is similar to this opening as ours starts with a Black screen with the production name on it and also has subtitles informing the audience what year its set it.
Starts with a Black screen, similar to our film 'Lost in Love and War', with a diegetic bird noise in the background. We did actually have a bird noise in the background but because of problems with audio we had to turn it down. It then fades into shot; again like ours into a long shot of a peaceful field, similar to ours, it is morning as there is a sunrise in the background as dew glistening on the grass. The Production company name fades in slowly into the shot in small serif font lettering, central in the frame. The sun gets brighter and slowly non-diegetic piano music gradually starts playing, as it gets louder and faster the sun gets brighter. The title 'Pride and Prejudice' fades into screen in bigger lettering, same font, and centre of the frame. There is still the diegetic bird noise in the background.
It then goes into a medium shot of a female reading a book, the camera is facing her, tracking her as she walks, it then goes into an over the shoulder shot of the book, which is similar to ours except it is a letter and she’s not walking. It then goes into an extreme long shot to identify the surrounding, a house with cloths hanging on the washing line, farm animals everywhere which signifies their class and that they are not that wealthy. The female is walking through the washing lines and all the clothes that are hanging are all white which could connote innocence and purity. The camera tracks her until it gets to an open door and the female walks out of the shot, again this is similar to ours as our female character walks out of a shot.
This opening, in many ways is quite similar to ours, as it is slow paced, subtle editing and melancholy piano music is playing in the background. It also has many similar shots types such as opening with a tranquil, peaceful environment and the over the shoulder shot of her reading the book.
I capture the castle -(Tim Fywell 2003)
Starts off with the company logo then fades into a black screen, very similar to our film, with the company name in typewriter font, in white small lettering in the corner of the screen. Quiet piano non-diegetic music starts playing. A source of light appears gradually and gets brighter until we can identify that it is fire from a matchstick, there is a face faded into the background. The camera is focused on the matchstick until the character removes it from shot and the character comes into focus. It is a young female, 17/18 years old with short blonde hair, an extreme close-up. There is then an overlap transition into a blue, sunny sky, and then into another overlap transition into a high-angle medium shot of a young girl about 7/8. This is similar to ours as we use an overlap transition into a medium shot. We can identify that this little girls was the teenage girl at the start. It then goes into another overlap transition to a low angle of the girls hand blocking out the sun, as her fingers moves in and out of the way of the sun, the actors and actresses names fade in and out of shot in the same typewriter font. It then goes into a high angle panning shot of fields and the Title comes on in the same font just bigger, then a monologue starts and it is a young girl’s voice, about 17/18, signifying it is the girl at the beginning. On screen it is a flashback of when she was younger.
