The opening sequences of Trainspotting and 28 Days Later introduce their main characters in different ways. Trainspotting introduces most of its large group of characters, while 28 Days Later focuses on a single character escaping from a hospital. Both openings suggest the main characters are unhealthy, though for different reasons - drugs in Trainspotting and an unknown hospitalization in 28 Days Later. The sequences set different tones through their pacing, music, and portrayal of their settings.

1. Film opening
analysis

2. Filmopenings
Mise – en – scene
Everything in the
frame.
Narrative –
The telling of the
story.
Motif –
Something that will
distinguish them.
Costume
Positioning
Lighting
Camera
angles
Props
Setting

3. Genre Setting Characters Plot Props Themes
Superhero Large city, e.g.
America, London
etc.
Villain, hero,
damsel.
Villain steals
object, hero stops
them.
Gadgets, capes,
costumes,
technology.
Heroics, moral,
sacrifice, bravery.
Romance “ “
In a house.
Man, woman,
family.
Woman and man
together,
something brings
them apart but by
the end they’re
back together.
Things used in
every day lives –
things at home,
work etc.
Love, dates,
passion,
friendships.
Horror Haunted house. Zombies, dolls,
innocent person,
possessed
people.
People move into
new house which
is haunted which
causes problems
with ghosts.
Dolls, blood,
dangerous
objects.
Scared, paranoia.
Musicals Schools. Boy group, girl
group.
Main boy and girl
fall in love.
Problems around
romance happen.
Things in a school
or at home.
Singing, school,
friends, love.

4. Trainspotting
• Characters are introduced in the opening sequence so that the audience becomes familiar with
them from the start.
• Main character, Renton, is shown running down the street being chased by business men – could
be a criminal; stealing.
• Stereotypical male / teenage boy roles – sports, social life, smoking, fights etc.
• Two different types of groups – sporty, focused group dressed nice (have more money) against
rough, less professional group.
• Narrative – Renton gets into drugs, tries to make different choices but they don’t always work out
how he expected them to.

5. • Deprived mise – en – scene – hole’s in the walls, nothing in houses, lack of
money.
• Hand held camera used when the camera is from Renton’s point of view when he
is running at the start of the sequence.
• Clothing is brown/tatty because of the lack of money. They aren’t matched.
• Direct mode of address when introducing characters – more personal to the
audience.
• Pace of editing increases throughout until Renton gets knocked out towards the
end then it goes to slow pace editing.
• As the non diegetic sounds get more intense and faster, the editing becomes
more intense and faster.

6. 28 Days Later
• A man, main character, walking the streets wearing a hospital gown – escaped.
• Set in London however it’s not shown like a stereotypical high class, busy city; no one around,
litter everywhere, buses tipped over and smashed phone boxes.
• Slow pace editing – leaving many seconds between each shot.
• Slow, gentle music.
• High angle shot of the bus – shows it is smashed (violence).

7. • Not using as many close up’s as they want the audience to know where (what city) it is set
in.
• Lighting - set in day time.
• Music begins to speed up when he finds money.
• Ends with a birds eye view shot to make the character look small against the city of
London.
• Narrative – Main character has escaped from a hospital and is confused to where he is and
what has happened to his city.

8. Trainspotting VS 28 Days Later
The films ‘Trainspotting’ and ‘28 days later’ are both made by Danny Boyles. I found similarities and differences
within both opening sequences that I studied. In the opening sequence of ‘trainspotting’ all or most of the
characters are introduced to the audience however in ‘28 days later’ they aren’t which suggests that in this film, it
is mainly based around an individual rather than a group of people. Both opening sequences show that the main
character is unhealthy; in ‘trainspotting’ it is to do with drugs whereas in ‘28 days later’ the main character is in
hospital clothes therefore it suggests that it isn’t drug related to why he was in hospital. There is not much action
or suspense created in the opening sequence of ‘28 days later’ but in ‘trainspotting’ action happens as soon as the
film starts when Renton is running down the street to get away from two other men. This could identify that both
films have two separate genre’s. Also, both films are set in separate places. ‘Trainspotting’ is set in a deprived area
whereas ‘28 days later’ is set in London, which is far from a deprived area. On the other hand, London is being
portrayed as a working class, slightly deprived area because of the lack of people, litter and smashed things.

9. Up
• Throughout the whole opening sequence the same music is playing. It is an instrumental,
which is happy and relaxing – it is being played against different clips of a couples life going
on (from young to old) so it is representing a happy life they’ve had together.
• Slow paced editing to show different stages of the lives.
• Going through ages/time so setting and costumes change.
• Reaching a dream together – building their dream house.
• The female role crying in a hospital – bad news on her baby – music starts to slow down and
become a less happier tune.
• Female role deciding what tie the man should wear as they get older – dressing older and
smarter, woman helping man do things.
• Narrative – A man trying to reach his dream.

10. Hairspray
• 60’s costumes/settings – set in the 60’s.
• Old TV – old fashioned.
• Starts opening scene with an establishing shot which shows the town.
• Car engines and horns beeping in the background – diegetic sounds.
• Close up on newspaper headline ‘baltimore’ to show and tell the audience that it is set there.
• Cheerful music/tune and dancing – representing happiness, joy and fun.
• Narrative of the film is to educate and inform the audience – trying to get TV to let black and
white people have the same show. Educating on a big issue from the 60’s.
• Music is being sung therefore it is diegetic.
• Target audience – teenagers. This is shown through the characters. Teens in a school.

11. • Extreme close up on eyes to show Tracy waking up.
• More close up shots in the first scene showing Tracy, the main character:
• Feet – putting on shoes.
• Putting arm through clothing.
• Zipping up skirt.
• Hairspray can – emphasis on the title of the film.
• Mise en scene – dirty rats on the street.