The document summarizes key elements of the narrative structure, music, and mise en scene of the opening of the film Dangerous Minds. It introduces the rookie teacher character who takes a job at an academy despite being unprepared for the type of students. The opening establishes groups of popular and disliked students. The music sets the tone for the type of youths and rough school depicted. Scenes take place in classrooms and on buses to set the school atmosphere. Lighting shifts between black and white, color, and darker tones to suit characters.

1. DANGEROUS
MINDS

2. NARRATIVE
STRUCTURE
• Dangerous minds is a typical American drama. In the
beginning the Rookie character is introduced to the
audience. The Rookie comes in to a setting that he/she
hasn’t been to before. When she has an interview straight
away she is accepted. Since she isn’t aware what academy
children are, she takes the job.
• In most films there are always types of groups for
example, popular kids, geeks/nerds.
• The Rookie at first starts off as being disliked or even
classed as the idiot teacher. The girl would gets everyone
attention because the teacher couldn’t do it themselves
could be classed as the ‘good child’. Since she is the new
person, you can tell from the way she acts she is nervous
to be in a new atmosphere.

3. MUSIC
• The music used at the beginning of the opening sets the
film and gives an idea to the audience what type of film
this might be and what it may be about.
• The rap music fits well with the shots being
shown, meaning the type of people shown and the place it
is filmed in.
• When the opening continues it shows that the school and
how the students are like for example, some of the
students look rough and their behaviour isn’t very good.
• Throughout the opening, the music used could be called
as ‘youth music’.

4. MISE EN SCENE
• The mise en scene for this opening is very similar to a lot
of American dramas. Since it is a school based drama, at
the beginning the stereotype of school children that all of
them vandalise school properties for example walls.
• Since it is based in a school, in the beginning it shows the
way the students get to school, so school buses are
shown. Classrooms are shown in most scenes. This gives
the audience, a sense of atmosphere and where most of
the scenes will take place in.
• The lighting at the beginning starts off in black and white,
because it was showing a different time and then after
there was more colour but in certain scenes it becomes
darker depending on the characters in the scene/shot.