2 minute Film Opening analysis (Professionally-made)
Saturday, April 16, 2016Clueless (1995)
The Opening sequence of Clueless begins with various shots & scenes of a girl (Cher)'s everyday life, one of which including walking out of a store with a large Tiffany & Co. bag - suggesting that she is a typical teenage girl who enjoys shopping, but is also upper class. The first minute also focuses on the people who surround Cher and who she hangs around with. The song 'Kids in America' also plays, which forecasts an overall perception of where these teenagers are from and what typical American kids do. Narration/dialogue is highly featured in this opening, as Cher informs the viewers of how she usually starts her day - getting out of bed and choosing an outfit. This implies that the backbone of the plot is introduced in the opening 2 minutes - that the whole film relates to happenings in Cher's life. Her father can also be seen as an another key character in Clueless, as Cher introduces the audience to him and what he does. There are no credits in the first two minutes but the key locations are Cher's house and by a swimming pool.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
The opening instantly begins with upbeat music and a male character with a stripy suit (Austin Powers) dancing into the clearing. Everyday people begin to join him and dance, which shows that the film begins with a cheerful and positive atmosphere. At the start of the opening, there is no direct dialogue, but there are voices and laughs from people in the background. Towards the first minute of the film, dialogue is expressed through Austin Powers. This is then followed by a scene of a groups of girls screaming "It's Austin Powers!" and chasing after him down a pavement. This suggests that Austin Powers holds a very significant title in this film, as the opening sequence focuses entirely on him. Comedy is also depicted in the second minute of the movie, as Austin Powers is disguised twice to hide from the large crowds, yet fails when they come running back in his direction. The Opening then ends with Austin powers leading/in front of a large group of everyday people and a
marching band, thus illustrating that he is the main character. The opening's setting focuses on an urban atmosphere. Colour is also a noticeable aspect of the first two minutes, as the majority of actors are dressed with bright and vibrant clothing. Each credit is a different colour to the others, suggesting that each person is unique in themselves.
marching band, thus illustrating that he is the main character. The opening's setting focuses on an urban atmosphere. Colour is also a noticeable aspect of the first two minutes, as the majority of actors are dressed with bright and vibrant clothing. Each credit is a different colour to the others, suggesting that each person is unique in themselves.
Divergent (2014)
Divergent begins with an establishing shot of a city in the distance. The camera begins to zoom in and the audience can establish that the city is damaged - a road bridge has collapsed and many skyscrapers have subsided at the top. An indent appears, saying 'Chicago'. This partly reveals the film's plot - that it's set in the futuristic era. There is also a noticeable contrast between the countryside/setting outside the city, and the city itself. This implies that the city's population are isolated and only have each other. The fact that the camera pans over the wall suggests that they are far away from the rest of the world. Narration is also featured in the opening sequence of Divergent, which consists of a female voice talking about the people in the area and what happened to make things the way they are. It is an excellent overview of what everyday life is like in her world. Therefore, this could also suggest that she is the main character in the film.
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