TASK: Starting to consider film opening conventions

Your coursework brief is to create the opening 2 mins of a new feature film including titles. Before embarking on any production in Media Studies, you must always thoroughly research and analyse the prevailing codes and conventions (not 'rules') of a given format, then look more closely at those of a specific (sub-)genre once you've settled on a firm production idea.

TASK 1: [post] The role of researching conventions in our coursework

Using either your printed copy or an online version, look through the assessment criteria for all three marked sections of your coursework and note in this post any and all elements of this that are linked to researching the conventions of film openings (and film/genre conventions more broadly). Include any relevant Evaluation questions in your list.

TASK 2:[post] What I should look for when blogging on film openings

We will discuss this in a class, after which you should consolidate your list of things to consider by carefully reading this post.

We will try to look at 

• IDENTS: How long are they typically, how high-tech/complex; how many do we see; where do they appear
• TITLES: This is a key part of your overall coursework task, so detailed notes are important. Which roles/companies are noted; what specific language is used; do any names/companies appear more than once; what font (serif/sans-serif; colour; case) is used; note the positioning (does this differ between titles) and any animation; any graphic element to the titles; is there a gap between titles or do they continuously appear (eg company names - A Warp Films Production - a gap then individual credits?)
• OPENING SHOT: always worth noting. Any audio bridge linking it with idents?
• RUNNING TIME OF OPENING: How long is the self-contained opening sequence? Is it clear where this ends?
• CLOSING SHOT OF OPENING + TRANSITION TO MAIN BODY OF FILM: Always note the final shot too. Do you get a fade-out or other transition or a straight cut? Are titles used to reinforce a change of location/time immediately after the opening ends? 
• EDITING: any transitions to signify ellipsis; any SFX; continuity editing style or any hallmarks of discontinuity?
• LENGTH OF TAKES + EDITING PACE: looooong takes or fast-paced editing with short takes? much variation in this? Simply by following one character/keeping referring back to them also suggests to the audience that they are a central character.
• SHOT VARIETY: ask yourself as you watch these whether you think further shots should be inserted - is there sufficient shot variety? This and the above point are linked. Look for simple things too like two-shots used to signify personal relationships.
• MISE-EN-SCENE: This links to the above point: what does the mise-en-scene communicate to the audience (providing exposition on location, time period, genre etc)? Is verisimilitudeachieved (can you see evidence of costuming, set-dressing, props etc)?
• SETUPS/SCENES: Each time you leave a room or other part of a location you have to work to setup the next scene: how many setups or scenes are involved?
• FLASHBACKS/MAJOR ELLIPSIS: Halloween is one of many that opens with events and then gives a title stating x years later so we know we're now in the present.
• NARRATIVE ENIGMA V EXPOSITION: What do we learn about setting, time period, narrative, characters, genre - and what is intentionally withheld? Do we appear to meet antagonist or protagonist/s? You could also comment here on plot, cliffhangers etc
• SOUND + MUSIC: Note use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Specifically, how is music used, if at all - is it continuous; are multiple music tracks used; does the volume level rise? Does the music genre seem to hint at the target audience and/or genre?
• GENRE SIGNIFIERS: Do you see anything which seems to point towards a particular genre?
• INTERTEXTUALITY: Are there references to existing texts?
• REPRESENTATIONS: Use of stereotypes, countertypes, a mix of both? When looking at horror openings, be alert for stock characters like scream queens, masked killer, jock, nerd, final girl, ineffective adult/authority figure etc
• GENRE/BUDGET/ERA SPECIFIC? You'll find that conventions have changed over time and also vary with budget and genre.

• intertextuality (links/references to existing texts)
• genre conventions observed ... or broken (very useful to note so you can find examples to look back on when designing your own work. you could also note hybridity here, where you see signifiers of 2 or more genres [to help widen audience appeal])

• how the opening concludes and the main movie resumes (the final shot of your opening is incredibly important, so its worth carefully noting these)

• particularly useful shots/details - if you see something you think is well done and you might want to take influence from its worth highlighting

• 
  

TASK 3: [multiple posts] Titles, 1st shot, length of opening

You will each view and analyse 2 film openings, feeding individual findings, including typed detail and plentiful screenshots, into the following posts:
TITLES EG2 [Film Title] - as we did with Pretty in Pink, note every title. Include several screenshots to demonstrate any common features and variations in these (size, colour, position, font, case, animation/transition/FX, diegetic integration, single/multiple credits, any name credited twice [hint: auteur]). Note clearly the timings of these: do they appear continually; from the very start or later (when?); continue right to the end (maybe beyond?) the opening; are the gaps between them equal in timing or variable (is there any pattern to this). Note the specific language used for company names - and specific whether these companies or production or distribution companies (look them up - and include relevant hyperlinks as part of your post's presentation!). Discuss the main font used: is it serif or sans-serif; clearly linked to (connoting) a genre - is this the expected connotation or signifying, maybe even juxtaposing, a different genre; what are your general thoughts on its semiotics? Is the main title font any different (always screenshot this)?
OPENING SHOT EG3 [Film Title] - we've discussed the semiotics of TisEng's opening shot in detail, now do the same for this. Don't twist your analysis to fit the genre, it doesn't always match the genre so neatly. Consider exposition, narrative enigma, (non-)diegetic sound, anchorage/polysemy - sound is relevant as well as mise-en-scene. Is the camera static or moving (does the shot/framing change?). What does this lead into? Looking ahead, you could apply Todorov's narrative model (equilibrium).
OPENING LENGTH + NARRATIVE [Film Title] - how long is the opening sequence? How is the ending of this denoted? What exposition has been provided (type a very brief bullet list for this, not a paragraph): have the pro/antagonists been signified (can you detail how with reference to framing and editing in particular?); Proppian archetypes; binary oppositions; the location; time/era; genre (maybe hybrid?); equilibrium, dis-equilibrium (central conflict). To what extent has narrative enigma been utilised? Can you spot any intertextuality?

We will review your findings and then you will individually work these into three vodcasts which will cover a sizeable chunk of your openings research:
VODCAST1: Titles in film openings
VODCAST2: The semiotics of the opening shot
VODCAST3: Film openings - length and narrative exposition