James Bond - Skyfall
Even from the very beginning of sequence there is considerable tension and drama. The use of the quick camera shots ( usually lasting for a split second) both build the scenery and also make the filming correspond more to the action that is actually happening on screen. At the start we see a silhouette of a character (James Bond) at the end of a hallway. The camera is not completely straight nor is it in focus. This is done for effect as to make the scene more mysterious and enigmatic, it also gives an insight into what the atmosphere is like; dark and not knowing what's going to happen. The camera then follows the character through into another room in one single pan shot. This actually makes the clip smoother and keeps consistence. We could assume that the camera is tracking the main character, he is almost always on scene apart from the conversation which happens very briefly. This is somewhat suggestive to the attitude of Bond himself, dismissing his environment with aggression and awareness. The setting of the film remains dark and the only source of light comes from the Window which makes the scene more believable as opposed to artificial lighting which would not be as authentic. Interestingly, there are no opening credits or text perhaps because this would distract from the storyline as opposed to cutting in-between text stills.
500 days of Summer
This opening sequence is effective for various different reasons. The first being the use of dialogue and non-diegetic sounds such as the voiceover. This introduces the film, giving us some background information regarding events and grabs our attention immediately as opposed to shots without sound which wouldn't be half as effective. The music itself is faintly heard in the background as not to distract from what is being said but to merely progress the sequence and make it more smooth. The music here is critical in catching the audiences attention and it ties in well with the style of film. It is somewhat enigmatic and urges us to watch on. In addition, there is a small animation that separates the initial scene (this is actually a recurring animation as a form of documenting events and notifying when scenes takes place). The sequence then goes on, flashing back to main characters as children, this is a good way of informing the viewer a bit more about each person even before we get into the main storyline itself. Towards the end the scene is cut in two and we hear new music that is much more upbeat. Text then appears introducing actors names.
The Boat That Rocked
This film starts rather subtly, filming a boy as he is going to bed. It then films a pan shot as he walks into his room and getting into bed. The boy then turns on his radio and puts it under his pillow. He is obviously going against what his parents have told him to do and this is what progresses the film as there are suddenly shots of the pirate DJ speaking intermittently between shots of people dancing to the music. From this point forward the music is heard louder and the entire scene becomes more chaotic and busy. There is also an animation that is stylized like radio stations that gives us key information about pirate radio at the time and also the names of the actors. The font isn't very big as to not distract from the video being played as they change between shots. This animation is more professional looking and interesting as opposed to simple text displayed as an overlay. Furthermore, the clip ends with the animation of the title "The Boat That Rocked" . This lasts for 3 seconds so the audience can read the text but it also informs us of the film title and to signify the progression of the film.
We know the film is meant to be in the nineties because the setting of the house is quite dark and there is no implication of anything modern, for example, the father is reading a newspaper instead of watching the TV. Also, the characters clothing are quite traditional and gives an insight into the characters lifestyle or personality.
AS Media studies Opening Sequences
The cobra effect:
This opening sequence focuses on this idea of a box being passed around by group of people . The entire film focuses on the box being the focal point as it is never out of sight until the very end. There are also some special effects that really make the clip more professional and urge us to watch on, this being the introduction of each character where it pauses and we see offset colours and their corresponding name. This short freeze and the use of the bold white text allow us to read their name clearly and with enough time. Also, we do not understand what the storyline is until the end narration which informs us about what we have just watched. The effect of this is to build the scene progressively without overwhelming the reader at the beginning.
The Edge:
This student made opening sequence is very quick paced and dramatic. The use of the 180 degree rule and match on action are used for effect throughout the film to make it seem more serious and realistic but also significantly more professional as opposed to just one type of shot. The final scene is of one of the security guards pointing the gun. At this time their is an effect that is like a pulse that defocuses the camera and then focuses it, the music also stops abruptly which catches our attention because of the very upbeat temp of the music that played before was complimentary to the action on screen. The fact the music stops also signifies that something is going to happen and draw a close to the sequence . There is also text which is tracked by the movement of the gun. This is effective because for one, it makes the edit seem more professional but it also immerses us and makes the scene seemingly more dramatic or tense as opposed to a fade in transition of text which would be too subtle. The action of pulling the gun is very quick and there is a flash back of all the events that have happened beforehand to remind the viewer what has happened and to add more tension.
Exemption
The very first scene is of an eye, a clock face is edited over the top perhaps to hint on what time of day the scene is meant to take place but it seems that the time is going rather fast, suggesting that whatever has happened must have been a long time. This scene is seemingly immersive due to the extreme close up shot helped by the camera blur around the screen and this rather dark and foreboding atmosphere. However, it is only until we see the first proper scene of both characters being held hostage when we can gage an idea as to what is going on. Interestingly, there is no dialogue, the film relies upon the camera shots and angles and the facial expressions to tell the story. This means that the audience has to guess what the characters might be feeling which is clever because it places us within the scene making it more believable and thus more scary. The music is also very effective as it progressively gets louder at different points, either getting louder when there is a tense scene (when he stabs him with the pen) and quieter when the scene is more slow moving like the part where they escape.
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