Film Openings Research

As a part of the research for film openings, we watched and studied three different film openings, taking note of the use of sound and visuals through the use of sketches and timelines to represent the tension and emotion being created by the sound/visuals.

Trainspotting: 

Whilst watching the Tainspotting opening, I created the visual diagram which represents the use of sound; diegetic and non-diegetic, as well as the visuals/shots within the opening. 

From the very beginning of the opening, it was very fast paced, as it showed the two men running away from a man in a suit and a police man in the urban setting. This is established with the shot from the pavement which clearly shows the urban surroundings. The sound consisted of a mix of diegetic as well as non-diegetic. An example of the non-diegetic sound is the voiceover that was on top of the action of the scene, as well as the music which helped contribute to the fast pace of the opening. The diegetic sound of the screeching car as it brakes trying to avoid the man who runs across road and into the car. 

This is all represented through the sketches and the lines on the visual diagram. 

Amelie:

Whilst watching the Amelie opening, I again created the visual graph which represents the use of sound; diegetic and non-diegetic, as well as the visuals/shots within the opening. 

This opening chooses to put the credits at the start with typical French music over it for the first ~30 seconds, very unusual for a fairly modern film. The pace of the music is much slower in comparison to Trainspotting which makes the mood a lot calmer. The first shot begins with an establishing shot on the pavement which effectively sets the scene of the road in the French countryside and at this point the voiceover also starts. This then shows movement of the car going past it. 

After titles and the establishing shot, there are a series of shots which depict a young girl (Amelie) doing various things which are shown on the visual diagram. 

Halloween:

The opening to Halloween is the most unique of the three, as it is made up of only one shot, which is also shot in POV.

Sound is used very effectively throughout this film opening. The first ~40 seconds of the opening just consists of diegetic sound, which enables the audience to get an idea of the initial ambiance within the setting, a normal and calm evening. This soon changes when the light is turned on in the the upstairs bedroom, and a piercing sound is layered over the diegetic sound. This is demonstrated on the sound timeline. This quickly changes the mood and builds tension. Throughout the opening tension is built up as it introduces the codes and conventions that contribute to a horror film, such as the pumpkin, knife and dark lighting. 

Conclusion:

These film openings all have similarities in the way they use sound and visuals to impose certain emotions within the audience which portrays the intended mood and pace of the film. None of the openings give too much information of the plot yet still keep it interesting and engaging for the audience to watch through the use of these codes and conventions.