Summary of convergent themes and form across the openings of teen thriller/drama films.

1. SUMMARYOFCODESAND
CONVENTIONS
TARAANDCLAIRE

2. WHATCOMMONELEMENTSOFGENREDOTHEOPENINGSSEEMTOPROVIDE?
• Equilibriumtodisruptionisaquickandabrupttransitioninthenarrative-meaningthe
audienceestablishesaconnectionandgainsaninsightintohowquicklyteenslivescan
change.
• Thecomingofagethemeisreallyconvergent:weoftengettoexperienceandrelatetothe
strugglesofteenagerse.g.friendshipproblems.
• TheconventionalcostumeisarchetypalBritisheverydayweariejeansandatshirt.Makeupis
oftenminimalorlesssubtletoexaggerateamoreflamboyantcharacter.
• Regardingsetting,stocksettingsseemtobehouses,streets,parksandothercommunalareaslike
schools.Thisanchorstheconvergentverisimiltudeofthegenre.

3. • Thetextoftenbeginswiththeprotagonist,thischaracternarratesusthroughtheirfriends:
givingusaninsightintohowthecharactersconnectwitheachotherasafriendshipgroup.This
establishesBlumlerandKatz’emotionalconnectionbecauseweseethecharactersthroughthe
protgaonistspointofview.
• Afterthisnarration(usuallythroughavoiceover)wegettodecidethepersonalitiesand
charactersofthefriendsforourselvesduetoseeinghow/whyallthefriendsaresoclose.
WHAT/WHODOTHEAUDIENCETENDTOGETINTRODUCEDTO?

4. WHATNARRATIVESTRUCTUREISEVIDENTINTHEOPENING?
• EQUILIBRIUM:thisstageoftenbeginswitha‘dayinthelife’stylewiththemainprotagonist
informingusoftheirtypicalday.Thisincludeswhotheymeet/socialisewithandwhatkindof
personthecharacter(s)are.
• DISRUPTION:thischangefromapeacefulmoodisoftenreallyabruptandunexpected.Thisanchors
theemotionalconnectionbecausewesymapthiseandrelatetohowquicklyateenslife/daycan
change.
• RECOGNITIONOFDISRUPTION:thisrealisationofadisruptionusuallyoccursfromtheprotagonist
againinformingusofhowthischangehasaffectedallthecharacterslives,e.g.seeingadead
bodyinStandbyme.

5. HOWISEDITINGUSEDTOREFLECTGENRE/MOOD/CREATEPACE?
• Theconvergenteditingencouragesverisimiltude
throughacontinualedit.Thisanchorstherealismof
thegenreandagainanchorstheemotional
connectionon arealisticlevel.
• Theeditingisalsousedtoallowtheaudiencetosee
alltheelementsthroughtheeyesoftheprotagonist.
Techniqueslikeshotreverseshotallowustoengage
withconversationsandexperiencesbetweenfriends.
• Inmoremelancholymoments(ofteninthe
disruption)morefade/dissolveeditsareusedto
mirrorthesombretoneandanchorourempathywith
thecharacters.

6. WHATTITLESAREEVIDENTINTHEOPENINGOFTHEFILM?
• Sometimes,datesanddayswereintroduced,especiallyintheopeningof
seven.Thisgavetheopening,contextandsometimesshowswhetherthe
openingissetinthefuture,afterthedisruption,orbefore.
Asshownhereintheopening
forthefilm‘Seven’and’juno’

7. HOWISNON-DIEGETICSOUNDUSEDTOCREATEMEANING?
• Itisusedtoreflecttheupcomingenigma,telluswhensomethingisn’twhat
theyseem,tokeepthepaceofthefilmthesameandsetapositiveornegative
mood.Theyarealsousedasasoundtrack,keepingarealisticsetting.

8. WHATISTHEPRIMARYFUNCTIONOFAFILMOPENING?
• Theprimaryfunctionistoconnecttheaudiencewiththecharactersatanearlystage,
onalevelwheretheyfeelanimportantconnectionwiththemandwanttowatchon
toseewhathappenstothemintherestofthefilm.
• Theopeningcanalsobeusedtoenticetheirchosenaudiencewithwhattheywantedto
getfromthemovie,therefore,showingtheiraudienceelementsofthatspecificgenre
thattheywouldmostlikelyenjoy.

9. WHATCONVERGENTELEMENTSWILLWENEEDTOUSE?
• Friendship
• Anintrusion/disruption,justaftertheequilibriumisset
• Minimalmake-up
• Normalcostume
• Everydaysetting
• Thesoundmirrorsthemoodofthescene