Film Opening Summaries and Comments

 Hi everyone!

This week, we are officially starting our film openings and brainstorming. My teacher told my class to look at these 9 film openings, so I will be summarizing and commenting on them down below:

Rise

This film opening is sports related, and it starts with a teenage boy exiting his car and opening the car door, and there is soccer equipment inside of it that he grabs. The credits are shown with unique and engaging music as he exits the car and moves towards the soccer field. I enjoyed the vibrant colors that was probably achieved by a filter, and I want to implement this into my own film opening. The font used during the credits is also enjoyable as it seems professionally done. The boy begins to play soccer and there are zooms used to show his movement as well as to show what equipment he throws down before her plays. Following this, another boy is shown exiting his car, and the camera follows him as he walks on the sidewalk. Eventually, he meets a fence while looking at the soccer-playing boy, and the soccer boy is shown again playing soccer as the music gets louder. Various cuts are used to show the soccer playing. Then, as the soccer-playing boy walks back to the car, he sees the other boy. Close ups show their faces as the camera cuts between both of them.

Offline

This opening starts with a typewriter-styled title sequence showing the studios and the companies that helped produce the movie. Then, as eerie music plays, a dark hooded person scrolling through the Instagram page of a girl. Eerie music plays. Then, this cuts to a shot of a girl laying tied up inside of a cage with a rag inside her mouth. There are several shots that fade between the "stalker" and the tied-up girl. Then, the once-unconscious girl begins to wake up and starts screaming and shaking as she realizes where she is. After this, the title "Offline" is shown in a typewriter style.

Dear Lover

This film opening is much calmer than the previous one, as it starts off with rather relaxing shots of nature. The credits appear at the bottom of the screen and tranquil music plays while this happens. Then, a girl is shown sitting by the water with the title "Dear Lover" appearing on the screen. A fade to black is used as the girl starts speaking in a voice-over. Then a close up shot shows the girl wiping tears. This cuts to more shots of nature but then goes to a shot of the girl talking to an unseen person. As the girl continues to speak about her situation and why she isn't able to stay with her girlfriend Luna, there are shots of various moments that she and Luna have experienced. What's unique about this is the white, muted filter that is used to show that these moments are from the past rather than the present. The pair is shown sitting by the water, holding hands, and getting close. After this, it cuts to various shots showing the letter-writing and mailing process that the two girls use to communicate with each other. Luna is then seen writing back after receiving the letter. Then to end the opening, the girl says "No, I'm getting ahead of myself, let's start from the beginning" and leaves the audience to speculate what will happen later in the film. 

 

Dare to Thrill

This film opening starts with the logo, and then there is a group of friends laughing with text shown on the screen revealing a "dare" that they have to attempt. Then, an extreme wide shot shows the friends walking up a parking garage while the options "Dare or Lose it all" is is shown on screen in a very unique pixelated font. The "Dare" blinks, indicating that the teens have chosen this option. They walk up the stairs and the camera pans and moves around, making it feel like the audience is actually there with them. The group is then seen entering a car and the energetic EDM music drops while sound effects emphasize the tires screeching and the friends screaming with excitement. Thrilling shots of the car driving on the highway is shown. However, things take a turn when the car is off the highway and drives over a speed bump in a parking lot. Here, a thud is heard and one person turns the music down. Things go silent, fade to black, and then a shot of the friends opening a car trunk and reacting in a scared manner is shown from a low angle. Finally, the "directed by" is shown and the title "Dare to Thrill" is shown in a pixelated font.

Always Watching 

In this film opening, the title, production company, and directors are shown on a black screen in a red font. Then there is a two-shot of a boy and a girl in what appears to be a therapy session. Credits continue appearing on the bottom of the screen. They discuss the boy's apparent obsession with another boy's life and the boy is seen getting angry. After this, there is a bright and colorful shot showing this boy and another boy with glasses walking cross a street directly towards the camera. After, there is a mysterious shot of the original boy being alone and staring directly at the camera in a close up. Ominous music plays while the next shot shows an over-the-shoulder shot of the boy staring at the boy with glasses that is now walking away. Then, several shots cut between the therapy session rant and the boy walking around in darkness. The boy gets angry and stands up while the therapist tries calming him down. Then, more ominous music plays while the boy with glasses enters his house and walks towards a room. The stalker boy then follows him down that path. After another cut to the therapy session, there is a shot of the boy staring with a sinister smile, and the he tapes the mouth of the boy with glasses. This back-and-forth cutting continues, and then a unique jump cut occurs in which the glasses boy looks in the mirror, but it switches between him and the stalker boy very rapidly. The boy keeps getting very angry in the therapy session, and there are more cuts in between the therapy and stalker-like shots. The last thing that happens is the therapist asking the boy to tell his story again from the beginning, leaving the audience curious for what will happen next.

Blue Boar

This film opening begins with a medium close up shot of a girl walking in a blue dress that looks like it's from colonial times. Mystical music plays, and an elderly woman is seen talking to her in a mix of voice overs of the girl and extreme close ups of the elderly woman's bottom half of her face. The girl walks around after this, and the music plays while shots of the sun, the girl's feet, and the the girl walking around are shown while credits roll. Then, an extreme close up of the girl's eyes is shown while the music reveals its lyrics. It appears to be an original song, or at least one that the girl is actually singing. With more shots of nature and the girl looking around it, the girl is then shown singing to the petal that she's picked. She then unwraps her hair and smiles while doing so. More shots of the girl singing in the outdoors happens. A shot shows her playing with another flower, and then a close up shows her face singing directly to the camera. She proceeds to craft something out of the branches and leaves, and a shot displaying an overlay drawing of a boar shows what it's supposed to be. Then the overlay remains while the rest of the nature disappears. The words "Blue Boar" is shown inside of this boar, indicating that this is the film's logo.

White Coat

This opening begins with different dark shots showing the credits. Eerie scary music plays while a boy with a mask is shown. Then, some boy's legs are shown tied together and other shots of rope and a face is shown. There is no dialogue throughout any of this. The boy is then seen trying to escape from being tied. Quickly, a man with a mask and glasses is shown. The boy then appears to break free from the restraints and the masked man pours liquid to a glass. The eerie music continues while more dark shots play very quickly. The man appears to be a scientist and he fiddles with different vials and lab equipment. After, a paper is shown showing "Patient #0534", hinting that the boy in restraints is part of some experiment, or at least some doctor's patient. More liquid gets poured into glass, and the restrained boy opens a box and looks towards the camera with a serious glance. Then, the title "Black Coat" is shown on the screen with a black background.

Stalker

This film opening begins with a shot of a girl in bed shutting off an alarm and leaving her bed. The credits are shown on the bottom of the screen. The girl then opens her window, and then it cuts to her brushing her hair in front of a mirror. Camera sounds play, and eerie music plays after. The girl turns around after hearing this. A shot of the window is shown, and the girl is shown looking back. Them, the title "Stalker" is shown over a black screen. A high angle of the girl, now in another location is used to show her opening her school folder. Then a medium-close shot is used to show her opening a paper. As she reads the paper, she looks up with a scared face and suspenseful music plays. She quickly runs out of the school, and enters a car. A point of view shot of her trying and failing to start her car is then used. After this, more suspenseful music plays as the camera shows her facial reaction to the camera, suggesting that there is something behind it.

Nostalgia

This film opening starts with a "Valle productions" logo. Then, a shot of a tree that pans to the sky is shown, with the title "Nostalgia", the writers, and directors on it. Piano music plays as various shots go back-and-forth between different paintings of landscapes and shots of an elderly lady. With these paintings, the camera pans and tilts. The lady is then seen grabbing branches of a bush, and holding her chest. Then, there is a overhead shot of a table with different pictures and religious items that the elderly woman's hand touches. Then, a shot of flowers is used. After, a shot of a family portrait is used that the camera moves away from. Following this, another medium close up shot of the elderly woman is shown, and this time she smiles. This jump cuts into a much younger girl with the same outfit, probably indicating that this was the elderly woman when she was younger. This shot of the young girl tilts up and pans to the right into the sky, and that is how the opening scene ends. 

Conclusion

After watching all these opening scenes, I have several thoughts. First, I definitely want to take time in finding a good font to use for the credits, since this can definitely enhance the quality of my group's opening scene. Also, I want to use filters in order to make my group's opening scene seem more professional. I noticed that sound completely changed the atmosphere of certain opening scenes, so I hope we find good songs to tell our story in the best way possible. Furthermore, I want to make sure that if my group decides on having dialogue, that the actors are good. The delivery of the dialogue must be good or else I wouldn't want it. I also noticed how some opening scenes reveal little of the plot; they just establish the setting and characters. I hope my group does something like this as well, since after all, this is just an opening scene and not the entire film.

That's all for today😆

Mediamel out!

Opening Scenes

 Hi again!

My teacher assigned my class the task of discussing the opening scenes of movies of our choice, specifically movies with the genres of our own future opening scene. I've never really paid attention to the opening scenes in movies, so this experience was definitely new. My group opening scene's genre is a mixture of romance/drama/indie, so I selected movies with these genres.

 The movies that I chose were: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Lady Bird, and Five Feet Apart.

 

Movie 1: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Genre: Romance/Drama

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Dir. Stephen Chbosky. Summit Entertainment. 2011. Film

First, I must admit that I have seen this movie before. However, there are many things in the opening scene that I have never really digested until now. When the movie started in its first few seconds, I noticed the "Summit Entertainment animation" logo animation. This is probably the first time I've actively remembered a film's distributor. Also, I noticed how the sound of typing began before any images appeared on the screen. The scene then continues to mention other companies like "a Mudd production", and then the shots of the movie finally appear.

To my surprise, there are no actual actors present in the title sequence. There is just one long continuous shot of the camera moving through an underground tunnel, as if it were a car, and this is where the credit words appear on the screen. The order goes as follows: actors > casting by > music by > music supervisor > costume designer > editor > production designer > director of photography > executive producers > producers > screenplay by/based on his book > directed by . All of this happens while the camera is pointed at the road behind while the car is moving down the tunnel.

Eventually, the next scene opens with a boy, Charlie, writing in what appears to be a letter. A non-diegetic voice over sound is used for pretty much the entire opening scene, starting with "Dear friend", and continuing with Charlie's hospitalization situation and how he is perceived by others because of it. These all provide various pieces of knowledge for the audience to pick up on. While this is happening, the camera cuts to several different areas in Charlie's school, and it makes it known that he is not a popular boy by any means. Whether it be in class, the cafeteria, or the hallway, the boy is seen alone and rejected by anyone he tries to attempt to be near. Dialogue is used to reinforce this idea, as seen by the fact that even his own sister won't allow him to sit with her in the cafeteria.

Side characters are also introduced in the opening scene, as a boy named Callahan is seen mocking a teacher before the class starts. The camera shows Charlie smiling at his jokes, and it hints a future friendship that will happen in the near future.

Movie 2: Lady Bird

Genre: Drama/Indie

Lady Bird. Dir. Greta Gerwig. A24. 2017. Film

 This film starts with a logo animation of A24, the film distributor.  Then, it is followed by a dark screen with a written quote. After this, it is cut to a shot of a mother and her daughter in bed, and the sound of birds chirping is present. After this, this is cut to a new shot of the same two sitting and talking.

Following this, there is a car shot and music playing alongside an audiobook, but then the mother shuts the music off. The audiobook continues, and the film alternates between single medium close ups of the mother and daughter as they talk to each other about college locations. With dialogue, the time setting, 2002, is established as Lady Bird mentions it in conversation. The family financial situation is also introduced when the mother mentions how she can "barely afford" in-state college. With the mention of college, it can be inferred that Lady Bird is the age of a senior in high school. And finally, Lady Bird's real name, Christine, is revealed as her mother calls her that name verbally.

The mother and daughter's conversation escalates into an argument with them talking over each other, and it results in Lady Bird hopping out of the moving car. Instantly, the film cuts to an insert shot of Lady Bird's pink cast with non-diegetic happy music in the background, and this cast and music carries through the rest of the opening scene.

It is then revealed that Lady Bird goes to a Catholic school as the camera cuts to a shot displaying this church-like academic setting with crosses on the wall. The words "Lady Bird" appears in a white font over the display of the school's sitting area. Following this, the different credits are shown in the title sequence while the camera showcases the many different shots around the school with music playing in the background. These shots show different religious practices, classrooms, and rooms within the school, as well as briefly introduce other important characters like Kyle during communion.  This allows the audience to get familiar with Lady Bird's current life. The order of credits goes as follows: Actors > casting by > music supervisors > music by > costume designer > edited by > production designer  > director of photography > co-producers > executive producer > produced by > written and directed by.

I noticed how this order is very similar to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, so that was interesting.

Movie 3:  Five Feet Apart

Genre: Drama/Romance 

 Five Feet Apart. Dir. Justin Baldoni. CBS Films. 2019. Film

 

 

 

This film starts with a Lionsgate logo animation, and then is followed by a CBS films logo animation. This film opens in a unique way, displaying many handheld shots of different families and friends laughing and having a good time. The shots are shaky and zoom in frequently, simulating the feeling of watching a home video. A non-diegetic voice over occurs during this montage, as a girl talks about touch and the importance of it. What catches the audience's attention are the few shots where people wear oxygen tubes, as this sparks the audience's curiosity due to its abnormality. There is also calming non-diegetic music playing in the background.

Then, the title "Five Feet Apart" is displayed on a black screen. After this, there is a shift to a more happy upbeat music while several shots of a room are displayed for the audience to see. There are shots of photos, a desk, and various items that help reveal the character's personality, even without words. Then, three girls are shown, with one holding a piece of clothing and commenting on it. The largest shot is a medium-full shot, so not much of the surroundings are visible at any given time. They continue talking about clothes and social things. It seems rather normal for teenage girls.

However, the conversation takes a turn when one of the girls says "I wish I could see that in person", and the smiles of the other two girls disappear. This results in the audience feeling even more curious as to what is going on with that girl. Then, the two girls eventually say goodbye to the third, and the third girl is left alone in her room. Her face appears rather sad through a close up shot of her face. Something shocking happens after: the film shifts to a wide shot, and the purpose of the room is revealed. Although the audience may have assumed that this room is the girl's bedroom, it is actually a well-decorated hospital room. This implies that this girl has to visit the hospital almost always, or perhaps she never leaves. The girl then puts on an oxygen tube, allowing the audience to connect this scene with the montage in the beginning.

While the audience is left forming many questions at a rapid pace, the film moves to a handheld shot of the girl recording herself, similar to the style of a video-diary. This makes the setting feel very personal. She talks to the camera for a while, and proves to have a good relationship with the nurses since she greets the nurse that enters by her name.

Although there are no credits given in the beginning of this film like the movies I discussed prior, they are given at the end. I briefly checked to see what order the names are in, and it does follow the general order of the two movies previously.

 

That's all for today. I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to these films.

Mediamel out ✌ !