Jonathan Curran

AICE Media Studies P. 4

10/20/2016
Mr. Furman

Opening Scene Deconstruction

Malcolm In The Middle Opening Scene
Technical Codes
Non-Diegetic Sound - Rock band playing to appeal to teenagers.
Medium Shots - Had medium shots of the family causing all kinds of chaos throughout the
household. Many cuts to all 4 brothers to show the anarchy they create.
Close Up Shots - The final few seconds of the opening had the main character, Malcolm, cover
his face with his hands to demonstrate how stressed he is.

Visual Codes
The text on screen is very shaky and moves to the beat of the rock music. This shows how
energetic the 4 brothers are and just how extreme the show can be.
In between the shots of the family, popular tv shows that teenagers watch would appear in the
opening such as WWE Wrestling and Clash of the Titans.
Lots of bright colors such as red and orange were used. Orange symbolizes the enthusiasm and
creativity of the show, while red shows the anger and wrath created by the family.

Propps

Duct-tape and rope were used to tie up the youngest brother. Picking on the youngest brother is
very normal in huge chaotic families like this one.
The house had a cheap couch and television to demonstrate the lack of income the family has to
deal with.

Binary Oppositions
The shows clearly goes into the issue of poor and rich. The family is quite poor and has to deal
with living with neighbors who have more money.
Normal and Abnormal is also demonstrated. This isnt the average family considering all the
trouble the 4 brothers create.

Targeting
From the opening alone, this show appeals to the average American kid or teenager. The opening
scene demonstrates most problems American children have to deal with. The sound and mise-enscene demonstrate a chaotic family living in an small house.