The document discusses conventions used in film openings, specifically teen romantic dramas. It analyzes the opening created by the author for their film "Breaking" which begins with the protagonist talking directly to the audience before the opening credits. Key conventions included are outdoor settings, costumes reflecting character types, camera techniques like low angle shots, and dark lighting to set the mood. The film is aimed at teenagers and explores themes of bullying. Overall, the opening challenges some conventions but adheres to others to effectively set up the film's genre and story.

1. Film opening evaluation

2.  My film title “Breaking” is conventional as it sounds like it involves something or
someone, and that it will need fixing.
 In the films I looked at the convention of the opening of the film seemed to be outside
or close enough to outside. The opening credits conventionally took place while the
protagonist was moving from one place to another. Even though in the story of my
film, the protagonist is not going to move house, she is still walking from one place to
another implying progression along with the music that was always present at the start
during the opening credits. I challenged the very opening as there is not usually a
scene where the protagonist is actually talking to another character before the
opening credits. If this happens then the opening credits are usually over the top of
this scene with the music, or the protagonist will have a voice over.
 In Twilight (2008) there was a voice over of the protagonist in the opening and it is
used often in other teen films. However in my research in the film genre of pure teen
romantic drama a voice over was not used and so I challenged
this. It gets the audience to feel closer to the character as she
is talking directly to them and therefore would create sympathy.
The opening scene with the other girls pushing the protagonist
around and acting harsh towards her meant that it was
important that she had sympathy.

3.  It is suggested that this film would be a dramatic teen romance as in the beginning the
protagonist is talking to what appears to be her lover and throughout it is made clear to the
audience that she has lost him and wants to get him back. She says in the voice over “I‟m
going to get him back.” which implies the rest of the film will be about her trying to do this.
It is a dramatic opening and the title also gives connotations of drama. The whole sequence is
quite serious with the antagonists being cold and harsh towards the protagonist. All of the
cast are made up of teenagers and so it will be a teen film. This is all conventional of a
romantic teen drama.
 In teen films the settings are conventionally places where a teenager normally goes during the
day – their house, school, their friends houses e.t.c In the beginning I did have an opening
scene set at the protagonists house and having the setting outside the front of some shops by
a main road where there was significant space for teenagers to hang around. I thought this
would be quite dark and because of all the grey concrete around it would have a gloomy
impression, reflecting the genre.

4.  The costumes are stereotypical of what teenagers normally wear. The antagonists wore
heavy make up and tight, slightly revealing clothing which is conventional for antagonist
teen girls. The protagonist wears more loose clothing and natural make up to make her
contrast with the antagonists, which is conventional for the protagonist to make her
stand out.
 The camera shots are conventionally stable with a mixture of shots containing camera
movement. I have conventionally used a range of different shot types. At the start there
is a tracking low angle shot which is often used in teen romance dramas such as the
beginning of A walk to Remember (2002).
 The transitions are conventional with some fade through blacks and how the opening
credits each fade in and out.
Dark lighting is used in my film
opening which is conventional for
a teen drama – Remember me
(2010) opens with dark lighting to
set the mood.
Remember me (2010)

5. I was aiming to represent modern teenagers. The cast
wore casual up-to-date fashion clothes. The antagonists
were in a large group, ganging up on the protagonist,
with the protagonist being by herself. I made sure that
there was always at least 2 antagonists in a shot where
they would appear, with the protagonist in shots on her
own which made them more intimidating.
Long shots give a lot of space around the protagonist making
her look smaller – representing how she feels – insignificant,
as well as showing her strange behaviour in the same shot.

6.  StudioCanal UK might distribute my film. They are formerly known as
Optimum Releasing and work in the UK with their headquarters in
London. They distribute films including British independent dramas such
as Cracks (2009). The reasons why they might distribute my film is
because my film would be a British Independent and also a drama.
 A film institution that may distribute my film is The UK film council,
which say on their website that they want to distribute “non-mainstream
films more widely available to cinema audiences”. They distributed
British independent films such as The King‟s Speech (2011), however that
was the last film they distributed before they were abolished during that
year. My film would be non-mainstream and a British independent film.
 Another institution, Momentum pictures, which is one of the leading
independent UK and Ireland distributors, may distribute my film. They
release approximately 20 films a year which include many dramas such as
the teen drama Dear John (2010). They distribute independent British
films – which is what my film would be – such as The King’s Speech
(2011). In February 2010 they won 8 BAFTA awards which is more than
any other UK distributor. They may distribute my film because it would
be a British Independent drama.

7. I have targeted my film towards teenagers between 13 and
16. The cast is all around the age of 16 and in my audience
research no one said they were interested in watching a film
where the protagonists were younger than their own age.
Due to the themes, content and moderate language that
would be included later on in the film the product would
probably be given a certificate of 12 and so the audience is
slightly restricted. I aimed at females as the main character
is a girl and so easier for them to relate.

8. The beginning was mysterious as the protagonist is seen carrying out
strange actions such as cleaning out a glass several times, making it appear
confusing to the audience. The antagonists are abusive towards the
protagonist which addresses some of the audience as bullying is quite
common in teenagers causing my film opening to be more relatable. The
clothing, age and activities – hanging out – is appropriate for the social
group and so the audience can relate to the characters. I tried to be
original in my plot so the audience would be more attracted to watch the
film as it will be something different.

9.  Having used Sony Vegas Pro 10 before, I was already quite
adept at using the software, however I did not use a lot of
effects, focusing more on transitions and what was going on
in the scene.
 During the process of constructing my final product, I decided
to experiment with some effects, especially for the title,
finding out that I could create linear rays and do anything
that I wanted with them. I also enlarged the tracking of the
title to make the letters more spread out which was an effect
used in Remember Me (2010). I also stretched the letters
vertically and made it look like a transition. I changed the
brightness and contrast of every shot to convey the mood
which was quite dark, making sure that it was even darker
when the antagonists were involved.
 I currently have my own blog, although I have never used it
for uploading videos or writing long post before.

10.  I have learnt a lot more about how important it is to plan. When I filmed
videos before I would usually improvise most of the time and think about
what would look good and what I could use in the moment. For this task I
had to plan ahead. I would definitely like to improve on this as when I did
not plan ahead enough the result was poor quality footage with
significant background noise, audible through transitions which was too
difficult to edit out.
 I have learnt more about the grammar of filming and the conventions of
film openings. I had never broken down each individual aspect of film
openings before, mainly going with what I thought „looked right‟.
In my preliminary task, the
opening shot was there
because at the time I thought
it looked right, even though I
hadn‟t actually thought about
what the meaning or
importance of it was.