CONVENTIONS OF A FILM OPENING

• Main protagonist or someone relevant to the plot or someone relevant to the plot
• Something that leaves you hanging (maybe before the title or it's the opening scene after the credits)
• Title
• Credits e.g. the actors, director etc.
• Sense of mystery or implications of the film's genre or plot
• Music
• Sound effects
• Company logos e.g. WarnerBros or 20th Century Fox
• Vague introduction to the plot
• Can have narrative between characters
• Establishes setting/scene
• Establishes genre
• Starts with equilibrium
• Diegetic/non-diegetic sounds
• 2-5 minutes long (on average) 

FILM'S AND THEIR OPENINGS

Pretty Woman - 90's Romance 

• Conventions - Protagonist shown. setting, landscape and scene are set, theme song, sense of place (luxury)
• Style of opening - introducing part of the plot and the characters, some narrative spoken
• Information in the credits - Production companies e.g. touchstone, producers, actors, title
• Narrative - intro the plot, some narrative shared between the main character (guy) and people who seem to be his friends, at a house party (upper class, not like teenagers) 

Final Destination 3 - Horror/Thriller

• Conventions - Dark setting, low pitched/dark toned theme song playing, this helps to show the nature of what is going to happen, screaming, foreboding
• Style of opening - disturbing fairground title sequence
• Information in the credits - Actors, editor, production, photography, producer, written, directed by, title
• Narrative - small talk, people on a fair ground ride

Reservoir Dogs - Adult Drama 

• Conventions - lots of adult language and swearing to show immediate nature of film, context of language establishes relationships, theme music
• Style of opening - group shot, panning around table constantly, then a small title sequence
• Information in the credits - production company, director, actors, title
• Narrative - talking about random things to establish the nature of the conversations, a lot of adult language

Pulp Fiction - Adult Drama

• Conventions - One location, two characters (could be main), small amount of their plot, swearing to show adult content, theme tune
• Style of opening - one conversation, small intro before title sequence
• Information in the credits - definition of 'pulp', production companies, director, title, actors
• Narrative - not much of the plot is revealed, only part of these specific characters life

The Number 23 - Horror/Psychological thriller

• Conventions - dark tone to the music, blood splatters all over the credits shows what to expect
• Style of opening - Title sequence, fades into plot
• Information in the credits - production companies, actors, title, executive producers, director, written by, music by
• Narrative - tells us (written into the title sequence) everything bad related with the number 23

Sinister

• Conventions - has silence, mysterious, dark tone music and shows uncomfortable scene
• Style of opening - establishes genre, establishing shot and title
• Information in the credits - production companies with a horrific twist, in scene of hanging, just the title
• Narrative - intro the plot, some narrative shared between the main character and his family as well as police, we establish what he is hiding from his family (the tree that the 'old' tape shows with the title also appears in the first scene with main protagonists) 

Breakfast at Tiffany's

• Conventions - theme song 'Moon River', establishes where the story will take place, a lot of credits, protagonist immediately shown
• Style of opening - title sequence with background of protagonist's activities
• Information in the credits - director, actors, title, produced by, based on novel by, director of photography, edited by, set decoration, costume, assistants, sound, music by, screenplay, etc.
• Narrative - none, but you can see activity of the protagonist

CLOSE UP: This shot can show emotions and reactions of a character to a person or object or event. It can help see the entire facial response, but can also be used to show certain stimulus e.g. a door handle or a keyboard etc. 

EXTREME CLOSE UP: These shots are useful because they can show really intense moments or specific things that will later be involved in the plot e.g. a person's eyes looking frightened, a watch face, a phone screen etc. 

LOW ANGLE: Low angle shots can give a POV perspective of a building, or something taller than the camera, these angles can often give status or indicate something bad coming e.g. if the camera was looking up into a dark sky, or if it was the POV of a kid looking at a teacher it would show who's in charge.

HIGH ANGLE SHOT: These shots again, give a sense of perspective and status, but this time in the point of view of someone who is in charge or who is definitely not in charge. 

MID SHOT: A mid shot is more to do with the characters and their relationships

First Task

List of Film Genres:

• Horror
• Thriller
• Action
• Adventure
• Science Fiction
• Fantasy
• Romance
• Comedy
• Cartoon
• Rom-Com
• Drama
• Periodic
• Musical
• Indie

Conventions of a horror/thriller film:

• The story-line is usually about the supernatural, possession, murderers or monsters
• Always set in dark places/dark scenes 
• Urban areas with dark alleyways or set in a remote, isolate location e.g. the desert, small village 
• Places with 'dark' history e.g. abandoned houses
• Camera work can be used in an unnatural way, like fast paced shots and shaking or POV shots from the killers/monsters etc.
• Sometimes the camera angle is handheld e.g. The Blair Witch Project
• Colours like black and red are used very often,as they can symbolize fear, blood and hell, etc.
• Props that are very common are weapons such as chainsaws, knives, firearms.
• Symbols like religious iconography, supernatural iconography and 
• Lighting is usually dark, shadowy and leaves an audience in suspense.
• Character types; a main protagonist (main victim/hero), villains (monster, murderer, creepy children or dolls, mutated people, etc.), stupid/immoral people tend to die first.
• Themes; supernatural, slasher, depression, mental illness, nightmares, zombie, insanity, religion, demonic, revenge.

What is suspense?

Suspense is when you feel anxious, excited or nervous about something that may or may not happen. In horror films, uncertain camera angles like shadowing and following one particular character, again someone that doesn't know what is going to happen. Music can also give a lot of tension and suspense, low tones and irregular patterns to make things more excitable.