RESEARCH OF

FILM OPENINGS
MICRO ANALYSIS

Sinister Still on phone

music, walks around
screaming, Hangs up table back to
phone and walks stove.
ringing as away again. 1 min 15 secs.
Shot cuts back
credits cut. 54 secs.
to stove,
popcorn getting
Shot goes
Hangs up, overcooked,
to oven,
Shot opens with walks away, two shot.
puts
production company, phone rings 1 min 53 secs.
popcorn on
fades out, film title again, mid
stove.
transitions in. shot zooms in.
1 min 7
0 secs. 28 secs.
secs.

Answers call Phone rings

Phone ringing, high again, answers,
angle shot. again, mid
shot. mid/long shot.
First character Camera follows her from
35 secs. 1 min 12 secs.
introduced by behind as walks through
answering call, mid corridor on phone. Dark
close up, zooming in to Shot cuts to Leans on table, lighting, tracking shot.
close up. tree outside, casually picks up 1 min 57 secs.
Killer introduced with pans down to knife, puts it back in
distorted voice on house. holder, mid shot.
other end of call. Dark lighting. 1 min 37 secs.
13 secs. 56 secs.
MICRO ANALYSIS
MACRO ANALYSIS
Angus, thongs and perfect snogging is a teen romantic comedy film in England. The narrative is
based on a fifteen year old girl Georgia who is facing lifes typical struggles for her age group such
as friendships, relationships and identity. Similarly to romantic comedies, the film includes
conventions such as the boy meets girl scenario, normally set in a urban environment which in this
case it is school and often centered around a female character who is the protagonist. The target
audience for this sub genre is usually teenage girls from the ages 12-16. This is because, as
mentioned before, these films usually focus around a main female character, this makes it easier for
the target audience to relate with the protagonist because they themselves may have dealt with
similar issues. The film is certified a 12A which is unusual for teenager films as although they are
not aimed at young children it would often still be suitable for them to watch. However, the film
does explore themes such as low self esteem and relationships. In addition, it occasionally uses
As the film starts we see that one of the production companies from the film is Nickelodeon
derogatory terms that wouldn'tt be acceptable for young children.
movies. This links with the target audience and genre as this is a TV channel which is
aimed at the same ages to this film. In addition, it allows audiences to know if they will like
the film as it is likely that it will be produced similarly to programmes the company makes.
The use of the colour orange differentiates from the target audience of females as it is seen
as a more unisex colour, this could mean that although the film is generally based around
the life of a teenage girl it could also have themes that will appeal to males.
The long shot portrays Georgia arriving at the Halloween party dressed
inappropriately in comparison to her peers. The fact that her costume is a
stuffed olive can be seen as very funny for the audience which is the main
aim of comedy films. In addition, in this shot everyone is staring at her
which is assumed is in judgement due to how she is standing out. In a
teenager film, a common convention is social pressures, this is reinforced
here by how she is being judged by her peers for what she decided to
wear. There
being created.is no obvious
Often diegetic
in comedy sound
films the in this clip although
protagonist has many the audience
imperfections and embarrasses themselves in some
can easily
way. The usetellofthat
thean awkward
awkward silence
silence is
creates the idea that it is uncomfortable for Georgia but amusing for the audience
as they partly sympathize but also laugh at the situation.
MACRO ANALYSIS
This mid shot shows Georgias friends cringing at her costume which could be
comedic for the audience as it may be how they would react if placed in that
situation. In addition, particularly the girl in the middle is dressed as if she is a lot
older than her actual age of approximately 14 to 15 years old. It is often common for
teenagers to attempt to make themselves look older through the use of clothing, hair
and makeup and the demonstration of this in a film of the teen sub genre can be
relatable for other young people going through similar phases.
The location for the opening scene is mainly set at one of Georgias peers house for a Halloween party. This more links with
the teen sub genre as oppose to comedy because stereotypically teenagers are known to enjoy socializing with friends.
This can also have some associations with the comedy genre because there is normally no specific location and can be
almost anywhere in those types of films.
In conclusion, in this opening of Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging it does reflect the sub genre of teen-comedy well due
to it focusing on teenager issues they have to deal with but additionally including comedy alongside these situations
making the audience amused and happy as comedy films usually do. Moreover, even though the opening situation
specifically may not have happened to the target audience, some may have similar memories as they are between 12 to 16
years old which includes the main characters age group.
Similarly to the majority of films within the comedy genre it is likely that the film will follow Todorovs narrative theory as
the audience has already been given a sense that it is going to be light hearted and fun to watch. In addition, as the target
audience is relatively young of the ages 12 to 16 years old the producers would probably want to follow quite a straight
and clear storyline that can be easily enjoyed without having to concentrate at all times.
MACRO ANALYSIS
The Matrix is part of the science fiction genre set in a dystopian future. This genre of film is mainly
set in the future, in addition, it looks at different themes of advanced technology, time travel, space,
etc. The target audience for science fiction films can range quite broadly through the sub genres. I
believe that the film is aimed at both genders as it does not follow the typical stereotypes for the
sexes and instead focuses on a more modern approach. The Matrix is certified a 12A so this
automatically means that it is not aimed at children. I think it would appeal to ages above 16 years
old as the plot is relatively complex which would be more difficult for younger viewers to interpret.
Straight away when the credits begin it is obvious that the film is linked with scientific themes due to
the altered clips for each production companies. Instead of the original colour schemes each
company
Next has, it is
the screen has been
filled edited
with whattoseems
become green.
to be This is significant
a computer monitor and more imaginative than
otherstrange
with genres letters
so the anduse of the colour
numbers changeappearing.
randomly reflects how
Thisthis film
links is unique.
with
the common science fiction film convention of advanced technology as
it is something the audience does not understand and are trying to
figure out, possibly because we have not been exposed to this type of
technology yet. The computer actions continue until one minute and
twenty-five seconds. As it takes up such a major section of the two-
minute opening scene, it leads us to believe that it is important within
the story and provides significance to the plot. For example, as it is a
science fiction film it is likely that it will include conventions such as a
complex level of technology so making us familiar with it from the
beginning sets the tone for what we are about to see.
The music throughout these first few credits is non diegetic. It is quite dramatic and in a crescendo fashion. This helps to
further intrigue the audience on why this music was chosen; it suggests that the film itself will be gripping as this genre
usually is and this is a build up to later events. When the computer screen is displayed the same music continues,
although, over the top there are specific sound effects which seem like the type of sounds a computer would make but not
similar to the type of ones the audience would have heard. This helps to set the scene and add to the genre of science
fiction because they often feature objects that we arent aware of and are new to technology.
MACRO ANALYSIS
In this opening we do not establish any characters, but, very briefly we see a female individual
named Trinity. We do not see a lot of her as she is only first introduced at one minute and fifty-
five seconds. When we first see her she is faced towards the wall at a desk as a long shot; we are
unable to see her face. This links with the ambiguity of the film genre which the audience found
with the unique credits at the very start. The camera straight cuts to a low angled shot so the
audience are barely able to see her face, then, the shot slowly rises up to reveal her face in a
close up. This adds to the suspense created as her introduction seems as if it should be found
significant to the viewers but it also makes them question why this character is so important to
the plot. Typically science fiction films follow Todorovs character theory and a common
convention of any type of genre is that the villains are usually dressed in dark colours. This leads
the audience to believe that Trinity is the villain of the film which is further interpreted by the fact
The location from this opening scene appears to be in a dark underground warehouse. This partly links with the genre as it
that she is surrounded by a group of men pointing weapons towards her.
further develops the tension being created as the audience are not sure where the scene is taking place and they dont
know why these characters are there either. However, this does differ to typical science fiction film locations as they often
take place in futuristic settings. Although the film is set in the future, there is no indication to that yet from the location
which is in
Overall, what
thisthe audience
opening would
of The expect.
Matrix there are clear links to the science fiction genre as it includes many typical
conventions and themes. The target audience of 16 years and above is mainly suggested by the significant part of the two
minutes which is the computer action. This is because it appears to be relatively complex which could easily confuse
younger viewers so it seems that it is more suited to older people who enjoy trying to distinguish clues in order to
understand the story.
From the film opening I feel that it briefly introduces some binary
oppositions from Levi Strausss theory it may look in to. For example, a large
part of the opening is based on technology, this links to one of the binary
opposites of Humanity vs. Technology. From the beginning credits I already
am aware that the film will include a lot of advanced technology leading to
the idea that the film may focus on looking at how humanity and technology
differ and whether the modern age is taking over. In addition another
opposition I noticed is Man vs. Woman. In the scene where Trinity is
introduced she is surrounded by a group of all men appearing as if they are
about to attack her. This suggests that there could be conflict between
these two genders.