Edward Scissorhands opening sequence

The image above shows the structure an timing of Edwards scissorhands title sequence.

From the Edward Scissorhands opening sequence, I get the impression that the genre is fantasy. This is because the music sounds kind of eire. From some of the opening shots, I get the impression that the film might be spooky as a statue is shown with cob webs all over it therefore this was shown by a symbolic code.  I think the hook in this squence is the sense of mstery, not really knowning much about the house throughout the opening. Also at the end of the squence shows where the film is set as it shows the house on top on the hill.The credits introduce the characters, producer, director etc and are displayed through a written code. The font used ties in with the mise en scene of the film.

This is the video of the openig sequence.

British Board of Film Classification

 

Codes and conventions of 'Toy Story'

The film opens with an ariel shot of toy flung on the ground and the sound of a baby crying. Almost instantly the audience know it’s a Walt Disney film which is indicated in the first title. By Toy Story being Disney it may hook the audience as Disney films are well known and have a good reputation.

The font used in the titles is quite childlike and simple which also gives the audience a clue about the genre of the film. I would class Toy Story as a family adventure film; this is portrayed through the images, colours and music in the opening sequence.

After the first title the second character is introduced. He seems to be young as he begins to play with the toy from the previous shot. Another indicator of the characters age is the decor in his bedroom. It’s a stereotypical little boy’s room, blue and filled with toys.

The following shots show the main character playing in his bedroom with his toys. All the colours used in the opening are quite bright and happy therefore represents children. The music used also implies Toy Story is a family film as its quite upbeat and cheerful which sets the scene for the movie.

Codes and conventions of 'Se7en'

The hook for the opening titles of Se7en - which is what keeps the audience watching – is mystery of the unknown man behind writing the book that shown throughout; his name isn’t even in the titles. This is portrayed through technical and symbolic codes, for instance objects, setting, lighting, camera angles and so forth.

From the opening titles I get the impression the film is set within a city in American as big sky scrapers are shown, which are known to be seen in places like New York. Also through a written code you learn that the first part of the movie is set on a Monday.

The first shot in the titles is of Morgan Freeman in an apartment in the city and he seems to be restless, as it shows him not being able to sleep. It also shows the rest of the characters through written a code throughout the rest of the opening titles; expect the man behind writing, to keep the identity of him unknown. Another two characters are introduced towards the end of the opening sequence, their shown in bed together which suggest they have a romantic relationship in the film.

All of the conventions (technical, symbolic and written) are used to get across the genre to the audience. Written code is used to show the genre by the font which introduces the characters, it looks a bit eerie and spooky, Halloween like. Therefore the films genre could be a thriller but by the audience not knowing who’s behind the book means it may have an element of mystery also. The music also suggests to the audience that the genre of the film is a thriller as it puts you on edge.

The credits introduce the characters, producer, director etc and are displayed through a written code. The font used ties in with the mise en scene of the film.

Codes and conventions of a opening scene

The opening sequence of a film is meant to grab the audience’s attention and keep them watching the film, many people turn off the film if they’re not interested because of the opening titles. Therefore codes and conventions are used to ensure the audience stays interested, also they set the scene for the movie, introduce characters and let the audience know the genre of the film.

Conventions
Conventions are codes that are communicated through the film to portray a particular message.

Technical codes:
This includes things such as camera techniques, framing, and depth of field, Mise en scene, editing, lighting and sound.
Symbolic codes:
This means the objects shown, the setting, body language used, clothing and colour.
Written codes:
This code can be shown in the form of headlines, captions, speech bubbles and the language style.

Main exercise

The main titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of 2 minutes.