This document discusses conventions used in the opening of a film project. It analyzes elements like titles, sound, camera work, and acting. Specifically, it notes how the opening establishes mystery by showing a boy dragging a body through the woods without context. Ambient sound and camera movements aim to build tension. Technical codes like shot sizes and symbolic elements like the school uniform are discussed. While the opening plants the stereotype that teens get into trouble, the filmmaker notes some teens are unfortunately led astray through no fault of their own. The ambiguous nature of the opening leaves interpretations open for the audience.

1. “How does your product use or
challenge conventions and how does it
represent social groups or issues?”
Critical reflection question No.1

2. Conventions of a Film
Opening
IDENTS
Titles
Sound
Bridges
Enigma
Character
Introductions
Ambient
sound

3. Enigma
Throughout my title opening, there is an element of
enigma. This is due to the audience not knowing why
this teenage boy is dragging a presumably dead, body
though the woods very early in the morning.

4. Sound Bridges + Ambient
Sound
After my IDENTS, ambient sound of
birds chirping, this is meant to create
meaning that it is early morning and in
the woods. It plays during the titles
presenting the distribution companies (8
BIT WORLD, CON-K FILMS).

5. Tiltes + IDENTS
In my opening title sequence I have
included titles and IDENTS conventional
to all title openings. I have put the titles
out of the way of the film so it isn’t as
distracting and the audience will be able
to focus more on the narrative of the film.

6. Character Introductions
agging a body from a hidden underground space. I also had a gi

7. Genre Conventions
A victim
(Crime)
Criminal
activity
Mystery
Suspicious
locations
A detective Tension

8. Mystery + Tension
• Why is this boy dragging the body
• Why is it so early in the morning
• Did he kill the body
• Where is he taking the body
• The music makes the scene more tense
• The hand held cam/jump-cuts add tension

9. Criminal Activity +
Detective• Although there is no detective in the opening sequence of the
film, there could be a detective encountered later on in the
movie.
• Criminal activity is dragging a dead body through a forrest,
without telling anyone, if the police found out he would be in a
lot of trouble.
• Killing a person, if he did?

10. Victim + Suspicious
locations
• It so happens there is a suspicious location
(the underground bunker) + the woods
• The victim could be the boy (if he was
forced to do this), the body as he’s dead,
or anyone else for that matter, it just
depends on how the audience perceive the
opening scene.

11. Film Conventions
Shot sizes
Technical codes
Symbolic codesSound
Camera Angles
Camera
Movement
Acting

12. Technical codes + Camera
movements
• In my film I didn’t really use camera angles to create meaning, I just
used it to maintain continuity (the kicking of the body rolling down
towards the river/dragging the body).
• In terms of camera movements I did pans, tilts, hand held etc. I did
these to help create the atmosphere of the scene, making it more
tense and to also help with continuity.
• The final shot of the river in the water is a high angle shot, in looking
down at the body in the water with the bird flying across the screen, it
creates a sense of mystery and entices the audience to want to
continue watching.

13. Acting + sound
• My actor Oliver Paul did a great job in convincing the audiences he’s
dragging a body through the woods for an unknown reason.
• Although most of the film is carried by the non-diegetic music ‘we are
born when we die’, I also think the diegetic sound contributes to the
film as a whole. Even though it isn’t very noticeable, I think the
subtlety of the dragging body, heavy panting and birds chirping add
layers which make the film more fluid.

14. Shot Sizes + Symbolic
codes
• To begin my film I though it would be essential to include an establishing pan as it sets the tone
start away as we see the city in the distance, this creates meaning that the location of the scene
is far away.
• I included CUs, MCUs, LSs etc as in films they are used to create meaning and further develop
the films range of technical techniques.
• Symbolic codes can be anything from objects, colour, setting and even clothes. The protagonist
is wearing a school uniform implying he is in education of some sort. The colour of the film at the
beginning is a darkish blue representing the grimness of the morning/ situation. The sky is grey
and cloudy providing pathetic fallacy.

15. Representing social
GroupsIn making my film I planted a stereotype that teens get up to
no good and in fact take part in criminal activity. This is not
usually the case for all teens but some, are unfortunate
enough to be let/misguided into the wrong situations that the
can’t get out of! Liam (the protagonist) could be one of these
people, maybe he is being forced against his will to do these
dirty acts, maybe he does them for pleasure. I honestly
enjoyed making an enigma as it inspires the audience
member to imagine and create their own scenario for what is
next to come.