Research - Influences for my opening

STAR WARS IV: A NEW HOPE

Although this film is not the kind of genre that I would like to do for my task, it did give me useful ideas for shots that I could possibly use. In the intro, Darth Vader enters in a way that it is clear that he is an important character and will have a part to play in the film's story/outcome. It is the shots used which allow for this to happen.

Some of the shots that were used were:

Mid-shot - It shows the height of Darth Vader in comparison to the other individuals. Everyone else looks like a minority in comparison to him. He is in the middle of the shot which shows that he is the focal point.

A low angle shot - This is used after the Mid-shot to emphasize the height and dominance of the character.

These shots work together to create a very clear and important first impression of the character to the audience. I think that this is a very vital aspect of a film and it's introduction. It is especially essential in the case of films like my main task and Star Wars IV:A New Hope, as they introduce characters that are unknown to the audience, such as Darth Vader, and so the foundation that the character has can often be built from the first shots that the audience see of them.

Below is the video that I used for my research:




THE MATRIX 

I also looked at the opening scene to the movie -'The Matrix'. I looked at this opening scene of this movie in particular as it appealed to me ever since I saw it when I was a kid. This was mainly down to the fact that the genre and plot, and therefore opening, of 'The Matrix' is something that is very different to your average Sci-fi or Action film.

I thought that the movie would be interesting to look at as it encapsulates elements of many different genres, as it most likely a hybrid genre of Sci-fi/Action and so this movie will be helpful to look as it will give me key ideas about an opening to a film, regardless of the genre that I choose for my final task.

I think that what makes this intro intriguing is it's build-up of suspense, particularly through the use of camera shots and music as it adds uncertainty into the viewer's mind about the setting, plot and the characters, as this is the first film of a trilogy.  I was unable to find the opening sequence on the internet, so here is the trailer for the film, which shows examples of the types of shots used and gives an idea of the feel of the film.  




THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE

With regards to this film opening,  I wanted to look at a film that was very different to the previous two that I had researched, so that i could get a comparison of the mixture of each of the genres. With the film opening in this modern thriller, typically of the genre it raises questions. In particular, I thought that the shots used where the car is driving from far away and the camera is zoomed out as not only did it focus me more on the car but it also showed the surroundings of he area and emphasized the sense of isolation. 

With these type of shots being used, it made me think a lot about the opening shots I could use in my film opening and taught me how an important effect can given off to the audience just through the first two or three shots as they are the first parts of the film they see. It made me realize that an opening shot can create a feeling or emotion with the audience that can then be effected by the next shot and so and so on. The importance of sequences has been highlighted to me through these films that I have looked at so far.


As I was unable to obtain the opening sequence, here is the trailer for the film, which shows examples of the types of shots used.