Blog opening sequence and titles research task

Blog Opening Sequence and Titles Research
1. Horror
- House of Wax
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4edZV0K_xPI
What narrative is given to you in the opening scene?
From the opening scene, we can assume that it is most probably a horror and/or thriller. Just
from the fact that the pace of the action in the sequence, the way that it builds up, this builds
suspense as it goes from quite slow paced to very fast paced. Overall, the idea that we get from
this sequence is that there are antagonists in the film which are harming innocent people, the
title and the wax aspect in the sequence also suggests that the sinful act probably has
something to do with wax.
From this, what do you expect the rest of the films narrative will be? From the little
information you have been given?
I expect that the rest of the films narrative will most probably follow a storyline which consists of
the antagonists (a woman and man, from what we saw from the sequence) preying on innocent
people in order to fulfil their dark desires to create something with wax as some sort of shrine. I
assume that they are probably mentally twisted in some sort of way and this makes them very
determined to get what they want.
Who is the target audience for this film? How do we know this from the opening
sequence and titles?
The target audience would most probably be from 13 and above, I think this because the
concept of the horror film itself, seems dark yet not as twisted as expected, also, a lot of the
action is built up which suggests that it isn't constant uncalled for jump scares at random,
instead anticipated suspenseful violence. We know this because in the beginning the action is
slowly built up, we expected that something was going to happen as the pace of the shots sped
up.
How is the genre of the film set up in the opening sequence and titles? What key
conventions have been used?
We get many horror film conventions such as; innocent children. We see children in which are
tied down later on in the sequence, children (usually) in horror films are seen to be innocent and
also vulnerable which adds a sense of panic. This also gives us the impression that there is a
greater evil. Young and helpless children are typically used in horror films as the initial sacrifice
to gain sympathy from the audience, therefore it is a horror convention to include a young
helpless child to be sacrificed.
How many characters are introduced and what information do we know about them?
What assumptions can we make about these characters? How do we know this about
them?

We are introduced to three or more characters, initially we see one or two children and a female
figure which seems to be multitasking, feeding them breakfast, creating her wax face and
smoking. Later on we are introduced to an assumed male figure, we know this because of the
masculinity of his hands. When he is introduced, he is seen tieing down the children and
handling them quite violently. From the way the two adults act and/or behave around the clearly
young children suggest that they seem to be quite violent, careless people with possibly a
fatalistic nature as they don’t seem to consider the consequences due to their health conditions.
The woman casually smokes in front of the kids without thinking twice whether it may or may not
affect them. The man also aggressively handles them which also suggests that he does not
care about them which gives off the impression that the antagonists may or may not be slightly
heartless. The adults were also verbally and physically abusive as they carried and threw the
children as they were objects or animals.
What camera work has been used and why?
In the sequence, they used very unique camera work to portray the dysfunctionality of the whole
situation, i think this was also done to slightly throw off the audience and make them feel
uncomfortable in order for them to really understand and feel the atmosphere they were trying to
convey. They did this by using shots in different angles which were unusual and disorientating
as they used mostly high and low angle shots or really close up shots. This doesn’t really give
us an idea of the surroundings which makes us feel quite lost and confused.
What sound is there? What effect does it have on the narrative and characters?
In the beginning, there is non-diegetic and ambient sound. There is a background soundtrack to
set the tone of the scene. The music gives a very suspicious and haunting effect as it ranges in
volume and pitches. This again, makes us feel uncomfortable as the music makes us feel as
though something bad is going to happen. The music also speeds up as the action buikds up, it
directly correlates to what is happening in the scene. Also, the ambient sound is used to
emphasize what is happening in the surroundings. Furthermore, there was diegetic sound - the
dialogue, the dialogue gives a negative effect on the audience as the adults were saying very
verbally abusive things to one another and the children saying things like “why can’t you be
more like your brother” etc.
What editing techniques have been used and why?
In the sequence, they didn’t use many editing techniques however, they did use text to show the
year in which it was set; ‘1970’. Concerning transitions, they just used simple cuts to make it
very quick and abrupt to match the pace of the sequence. They also probably used a filter to
make the sequence look more sinister.
Do you think this is a successful opening sequence and titles?
Overall, i do think that it was indeed a successful opening scene as firstly, it left on a cliff hanger
and also because they built the tension really well by giving us little information, leaving us
wanting more. Also, the genre was easy to identify as the conventions were quite clear.
Furthermore, the shots were really well-taken to give off an atmosphere that was suitable for the
film and also, it affected the audience in a really significant way.

2. War
- Dunkirk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7DHbaY54YQ
In the opening scene, we are given the narrative that soldiers are stranded at war. We know this
because, firstly, there are cuts between parts of the sequence which include a black screen with
text to explain what exactly is happening in the scene. So, we are straight away given the
narrative. However, before they included the text and storyline, the soldiers uniforms already tell
us a lot about the narrative as they are in a very peaceful looking area, wearing uniforms, this
suggests that they are somewhere that they aren’t supposed to be. We know this because,
usually, soldiers are not in peaceful looking areas, they look out of place. This suggests that
something is wrong and that they should not be there.
I expect the rest of the narrative to be about the last remaining soldier to try and survive at
Dunkirk and possibly find a way off the island. He will most probably make friends along the way
and also maybe face quite a few problems whilst trying to escape and/or evacuate the beach.
From this, we can expect that there will probably be a lot of action as just from the opening
scene, we can see that it is an action-packed film.
The target audience is most probably from the ages of 13 and above as firstly, although it is a
violent film, it does not include inappropriate language or scenes that are too goary or violent.
Also, it is more of an educational film on history which again, educates children about the war.
Furthermore, most of the material is not that inappropriate for children as from the opening
scene, there is not too much blood.
Immediately we can assume the genre because of the war conventions throughout the opening
scene. There were many war conventions such as guns, soldier uniforms, the makeup used and
also the excessive amount of gun use. Also, the text in the beginning of the sequence clarify
that it was based during the war and the videography supports this. We can also tell from the
props and setting.
them?
We are initially introduced to 5 or 6 characters which we can assume are soldiers considering
their costumes and also the context we were given. We can assume that they are most probably

very tired, scared and desperate. The first thing they do in the opening scene is just walk
casually, suggesting that they must be exhausted. Also, they seem very desperate as they are
trying to steal things from the houses surrounding them and they are also clearly scared as the
second they hear the first gun shot they start running as fast as they can despite the fact that
they are probably sleep and nutrition deprived.
They used mostly wide, medium and long shots. I think that this is so they could clearly show
the setting and also give a good narrative as from the setting, we can learn alot about firstly, the
time frame, secondly, the situation in which they are in and also we can infer a lot from the
props and location. Also, we are given quite a lot of long shots to show the costume and
characters and also so we can see the whole picture, so we can see what the characters see.
Furthermore, they hardly used any close-up shots as they were most probably trying to set the
scene rather than trying to build a relationship between the characters and the audience.
In the beginning, there was mostly just ambient sound of the background and also diegetic
sound of footsteps in order to match the action of them walking to the videography, this also
emphasized the silence of the scene, it built up tension as no clear action is taking place, when
the costumes signify that it is supposed to be action-packed. In addition, they start to add in
non-diegetic music in the background in order to reinforce the feeling of suspense, this
continued for the rest of the sequence and so did the diegetic sound of both the gunshots etc
and also the shot dialogue between soldiers. There was hardly any dialogue to allow us to focus
on the action so we can infer the narrative ourselves rather than having a dialogue driven
narrative.
The only editing techniques that were included were the quick cuts which emphasizes the action
in the sequence and also the black screens with text on it to give context to the (almost) silent
situation/ scene.
Personally, i do think that this was quite a successful opening sequence as the lack of context
and dialogue intrigues us to learn more and continue on with the film. However, i think that they
could have made it more effective by giving some form of suspense and mystery to intrigue the
audience even more as it is quite a dull opening scene despite the action. They should have
used more close-up shots to show the characters emotions to gain sympathy and interest from
the audience.
3. Action
- Kingsman: The Secret Service
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfWRfqbCrZU

From the opening scene, the narrative we get is that is has something to do with silent or hidden
crime which suggests the genre, action. It is opened with a heat sensor filter with a gun
viewpoint overlay, this also implies that it is an action film that that action film. Also, the opening,
suggests that there might be a lot of mystery and problem solving, just from the opening titles.
From the context given, we assume that it has something to do with a scandal in the middle east
due to the setting and characters.
I expect the rest of the film to be based on a mystery that will be obviously solved by a
protagonist which will probably be introduced later on in the film. But just from the opening
sequence I think that there is mostly probably some secret crime going on in a remote area of
the world and the ‘Kingsman’ the ‘Secret Service’ will most probably try and solve this crime for
the greater good of the world. I think that they will eventually defeat the antagonists and save
the world by the end of the film.
I think that the target audience is mostly 13-25 year olds. From the titles itself, we can tell
because of the lack of sophistication and seriousness of the titles, also, from the opening scene
we can tell as the action scenes itself were not as dramatised as the action was not
emphasized, instead, it was very quick and not goary nor meaningful. Also, we can tell this from
the types of camera movement.
Straight away, we were able to tell the genre of the film due to the key conventions of action
included such as; guns, helicopters and fire etc. Although it was quite a short opening, we could
already assume that it was action as they portrayed the conventions quite clearly, with visual
effects and also with the props.
them?
Only two characters are introduced in the opening sequence, two of them being quite irrelevant
in the film in general, we know this because the minute they are introduced they are almost
immediately killed off. This tells us that the main characters have no been introduced yet as no
one else was really in the sequence as the opening sequence just consisted of giving context
and a background narrative to give the audience an idea of how everything started and also to
show the setting and probably give us an idea of the time period in which it was set. However,
although we have not been introduced to any significant characters, we can assume and infer
just from the title that they are probably secret agents whose jobs are to save the world or better
the world. We know this because of the background information, it shows us that something bad
is going on behind the scenes in which the rest of the world probably do not know about.

They used a lot of establishing, long and wide shots to really give us an idea of the setting and
also to show us the significance of the whole situation. They did this so they could really make
us understand how secret the whole thing is and how separated from the rest of the moving
world it is. They also used a lot of zoom and tracking to really show movement in the scene, this
gives off the impression that crime never sleeps, things are always happening whether you are
aware or unaware of it.
For this opening scene, they used both non-diegetic and diegetic sound, however, they used the
non-diegetic sound to create an atmosphere and mood for the opening. It is a very upbeat and
rebellious song that includes guitar which makes it sound very hardcore which also correlates
with the idea that the world is very fast paced and dangerous. The guitar especially adds an
element of danger. The diegetic sound comes from the gunshots, bombs and also screaming
and yelling of the men, this is just to add effect to what is going on in the surroundings.
The only editing techniques used was obviously green screen and possibly cgi. This was most
probably used to firstly, create the explosions and also to make the scene look more realistic.
They also used editing to include the titles in the title sequence.
I do think it is a successful opening sequence as it is quite upbeat and quick and also it doesnt
give too much of the narrative away which leave the audience wanting more. Although we do
not really get introduced to any of the main characters it is still successful as it gives background
information and perspective to the audience.
4. Thriller
- Memento
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHhlTXyBxPM
The opening scene starts of with the title of the film followed by a close up of a hand holding a
polaroid of a dead body with blood all over the wall. We can assume the person holding the
photograph is the protagonist. He then shakes the photograph and the image begins to fade
away slightly. This increases with every time he shakes the photo until it has completely
disappeared. The hand then takes the blank image and inserts it into the camera, we see his
face, and he takes a picture. He then puts the camera to the side and we see a shot of blood
flowing in the opposite direction, implying someone has died. We now realise the shots have
been shown in reverse, non-linear way. The gun then goes into the hand of the protagonist
indicating he had killed the man.

Seeing that we know how the film will end (the protagonist shooting the man) it’s to be assumed
that the film will follow the story on the events leading up to the man’s death and what the
protagonist’s motives were for doing so. We may come to understand the significance of why
the protagonist took a photograph of the dead body and whether there is a significant meaning
behind it.
Due to the graphic nature of the dead body, this film appears to be possibly targeted at
teenagers / adults as it is not appropriate for children. Additionally, the unique play on narrative
structure implies that the nature of the film might be this way as well thus, younger audiences
may not be able to understand it.
A key conventions of thriller films is to create suspense for the audience. Memento’s opening
sequence does this by forcing the audience to piece together the mystery of what is going on
and who killed the man. Additionally, themes of violence and the use of a weapons like shown in
the scene are also common. Low key lighting and a dark colour palette is used to create an
atmosphere of suspense or gloom.
them?
During the opening sequence, we are only introduced to two characters; the protagonist with the
polaroid who shot the man and the dead man. We can tell that there is something suspicious
and shady about the protagonist as we realise he took a photograph of the dead man almost
like a trophy or some sort of reminder. This could imply he is mentally disturbed and could be a
key feature of his character.
They used mostly close-up and medium shots to allow the audience to notice the small details
in the scene, they used a handheld camera to give the shot a little bit of movement rather than it
just be completely still. They did this to give it a sense of realism and emotion, it makes it seem
less artificial and more natural.
They used only non-diegetic sound initially, they used eerie music to build tension for when the
action happens. The non-diegetic sound continues through the whole sequence, and so does
the ambient sound. However, the diegetic sound comes is as the action occurs, no dialogue
however, there is yelling and also sounds of a gunshot and things falling.

They edited the text onto the sequence, including the title and credits, they also put a filter to
make the scene more dark and scary and they also used a wipe transition to make the change
between the shots quite slow which gives off a ‘timeless’ effect. Lastly, they used the reverse
effect to show how the action went down in reverse to show how it cannot be reversible and to
show how quickly it happened, probably mimicking the killer revisioning what he has just done.
Overall, i do think that this opening scene is successful as you do not expect the action at the
end due to the very slow beginning. The beginning built up a lot of tension which made the
opening scene very effective. Also, the reverse effect they used made it very intriguing.
5. Sci-fi
- Guardians of the Galaxy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNlnQwHWSYw
In the opening scene we see an establishing shot of planets in space and text saying “26 years
later” and the name “Morag”. This immediately tells the audience where the film is taking place
and in what time period. We’re then shown shots of the abandoned planet covered in fog,
followed by a mysterious man in a metal mask with glowing red eyes. He then pulls out a device
which projects a hologram of a city which once stood there. He then wanders off into a cave
where his mask fades away to reveal his face and introduces the main character of the film. He
takes out his cassette player and starts dancing to 70s music. The use of contrapuntal sound
juxtaposes with the seriousness of sci-fi film genre by giving the opening scene a more light
hearted atmosphere. The man then walks into a room where he stumbles upon a protected
purple rock.
From what we have seen in the opening scene, it’s implied that the film is a science fiction
comedy. The film is most likely going to follow this comedic, light hearted mood while still
following sci-fi conventions. From what we saw in the opening scene, the man may have
proceeded to steal the purple rock. Clearly, this rock had some sort of significance do the film
may explore it’s potential power or threat.
The target audience of this film appears to be targeted at predominantly male teenagers and
young adults. We know this because science fiction films are stereotypically targeted at men.
Additionally, the film has a dark, grungy undertone to it which may be more appealing to them
as well. On top of that, since Guardians of the Galaxy is a Marvel film (as stated in the opening

credits), another key target audience could potentially be older / middle aged men who may
have grown up with the comics or may be Marvel fans.
Upon viewing the opening sequence, one of the key identifiers that tell us the film is a science
fiction, is the depiction of space. Furthermore, the portrayal of advanced technology such as his
mask that acts as a space suit and his hologram device are also conventions of sci-fi films.
them?
Throughout the entire sequence, we are only introduced to the one character wearing the metal
mask. Towards the end of the clip, the man removes the mask to reveal he is a innocent looking
young man. He proceeds to play music from his cassette player and starts dancing in the cave.
From this, we are given the impression that the character is comedic and doesn’t take things too
seriously. We see him as a fun, lovable guy and therefore expect the film to follow a similar
tone.
They mostly used establishing shots and extreme long shots and occasionally wide and medium
shots to really show the audience the setting so that they can identify that that is definitely not
Earth and so that they can get an idea of the unusual and unfamiliar atmosphere. Near the end
of the sequence, they included some close-up shots so that the audience is introduced to some
important details of the film.
In the sequence, they used a lot of diegetic sound rather than non-diegetic sound. They
included contrapuntal sound, the protagonist starts to play a song from his cassette which is
very upbeat and happy meanwhile killing and exterminating dinosaur-looking aliens
simultaneously. Also, we get diegetic sound of gunshots and sound effects coming from the
aliens and also the background etc.
The majority of their editing was to do with the green screen and cgi however, they used
multiple overlays and filters. They used overlays to mimic the futuristic technology and they also
used filters to give the planet a very dark and scary feel by making it very cool-toned and they
also decreased the exposure. Also, they editing the sequence by including text for the title
sequence.
I do think that this is an extremely successful opening scene as it was very interesting and it
was quite enjoying to watch, one of the reasons being that the music was very upbeat and

happy. The contrapuntal sound made it quite humorous too. Also, the editing in general was
very good and the narrative in general was very intriguing despite the lack of dialogue.
Conclusion
What did the opening sequences and titles all have in common?
The thing that all of the sequences had in common was that they all ended up showing the
name of the film, they all had some form of soundtrack and/or non-diegetic sound.
Were there any sequences and titles that were particularly different from the others? And
if so, why?
Yes, the ‘House Of Wax’ trailer was significantly different to all of the other opening sequences
due to the unique camera angles and filming techniques. All of the other sequences gave us an
idea of the location and setting however, ‘House Of Wax’ didn’t really give us much to go off of.
In your opinion which is the most successful and why?
In my opinion, i think that the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ opening scene was the most successful
due to the fact that it was overall the most interesting and it was the most intriguing, i think this
is very important as you really want to be able to capture the audience's attention from the
beginning so you can ensure that they are compelled to watch the rest of the film.
In your opinion which is the least successful and why?
Overall, I think that the least successful out of all of the opening sequences would probably
have to be Dunkirk as it was quite dull and uninteresting due to the lack of narrative and also
dialogue. I think that they probably could have added a backstory which explains the context
rather than having text that explains it.

Blog opening sequence and titles research task

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Blog opening sequence and titles research task