2. Opening Sequence (01:00)
I have chosen to analyze the opening of the Hunger
Games as the genre of the movie is the same as the one
which I would like to potentially explore and create my
own movie opening around, a dystopian
adventure/drama. The first thirty seconds of the opening
to the movie purely consists of institutional logos of the
production and distribution companies. After the
thirtieth second, the sequence then proceeds to show
titles explaining the origin of the hunger games and why
a selection young people have to go through with it.
3. Opening Sequence (02:00)
As the opening progresses onto the second minute, the text
which was previously on the screen fades away and the title of
the movie ‘The Hunger Games’ remains onscreen. The scene
then cuts to two minor protagonists in the film discussing the
meaning of the hunger games and it’s significance. There is
then a quick cut from the dialogue between the two characters,
to an establishing shot of District 12, the place where the main
protagonist, Katniss Everdeen lives. There is a close up shot of
her face, which then pans down to a close up of her younger
sisters face, who Katniss is comforting after having a bad
dream.
4. Opening Sequence (03:00)
Throughout the first half of the third minute of the opening of the
movie, a medium shot reverse shot is used to show Katniss as she
sings to her sister who is trying to go back to sleep. The non-
diegetic music in the background adds to the somber mood of the
scene. The nightmare which Primrose has foreshadows that as the
movie progresses, there will be sadness and tragedy involved.
During the last few seconds of the third minute, as Katniss leaves
the house, there are establishing shots of District 12, as well as
long shots showing the difficult manual labor which the citizens
of the district go through, as well as the poverty which they are
living in. This presents a binary opposition of poor vs. rich, with
the second minute of the movie as it showed two men who live in
the Capital and how glamorous and taken care of they looked,
compared to the people in District 12.
5. Opening Sequence (04:00)
Throughout the majority of the fourth minute of the opening
of the movie, there is continuous establishing shots of the
district, and just how poor the conditions are. Children with
poor housing conditions and the elderly eating what they can
find in order to survive. The non-diegetic music in the
sequence adds to the melancholy of the situation as it creates
sympathy for the characters within the audience. In the second
half of the fourth minute, there is a long shot tracking of
Katniss running through a place which is next to the border
between the district. She is then shown running and going past
this border. This part of the opening raises many enigma
codes, where is she going? Why is she crossing the border?
6. Opening Sequence (05:00)
The final minute of the opening begins with a mini
montage of Katniss walking around the woods
trying to find an animal to hunt. There is then a mid
close up of a dear, and then a close up of her
spotting a dear from afar. There is then a long shot
of her standing on a tree bark showing the measures
and risks people like her have to go through in
order to assure themselves some sort of meal. The
opening of the movie ends with a long shot of the
dear looking at Katniss.
