GENERAL CONVENTIONS – MEDIA LANGUAGE

This post explores different aspects of film openings, including specific movie analysis. This post is specifically looking at sound, first shot, central narrative + protagonist, mise-en-scene for exposition and transition to main film. This is the list of topics looked at in this post:

• Sound
• First shot
• Central narrative + protagonist
• Mise-en-scene for exposition
• Transition to main film
• Film analysis

SOUND

Audio bridges often go over the final ident to transition into the main film

Foley sound is when the audio is recorded in post-production

Successful ambient sound achieves verisimilitude and continuity editing

Music can be non-diegetic or diegetic

Music is used to signify genres i.e slow smooth piano music might be linked to a romance

In horror, music quite often cuts off at a sudden moment (false scare)

Other than this, music quite often fades out/in

Many movies have music produced for the movie (can be a way of bringing more of an audience to the film)

Movies can also use pre-existing music

Typically, large budget movies will have foley sound recorded

FIRST SHOT

First shot is opening 30 seconds of film

Hot fuzz has an ongoing 30 second shot to open (shortly followed by a transition)
ELS conventional first establishing shot
verisimilitude
Used for exposition
Sometimes audio bridge
Often diegetic scene
Sound often exaggerated
Often narrative enigma on setting and protagonist
always genre significations in first shot however can leave polysemy

Titles often run over

CENTRAL PROTAGONIST + NARRATIVE 

Different theories surrounding narrative structure include:

Propp - 7 character archetypes

Todorov - (narrative structure) equilibrium to disequilibrium to new equilibrium

Levi-Strauss - binary opposites

Roland Barthes - narrative enigma

The 7 character archetypes Propp discovered were the hero, helper, villain, false hero, donor, dispatcher and princess. Hero is often shown through establishing shots. Hero will always be the central protagonist in the movie. Often narrative enigma on the main character at the start.

Narrative enigma is when there is a mystery in the narrative.

Todorov's theory states that there is a brief 5 point structure that many films follow. This is:

• Equilibrium 
• Disruption of equilibrium
• Recognition of this disruption
• An attempt to repair the damage
• New equilibrium

Levi-Strauss proposed an idea that al films have binary opposites. This is when one character is the opposite to another (male/female, lower-class/upper-class, sporty/nerdy)

Here is an online analysis of Edgar Wright's ability to highlight the central protagonist...

MISE-EN-SCENE FOR EXPOSITION

Directors achieve exposition through mise-en-scene using props, costume, make-up, body language, setting and set-design. Replaces the need for voice-overs and/or any diegetic dialogue. Links to the theme of simulacra, believing there is always an ongoing chain of signifiers, and everything is set up in the mise-en-scene to connote something.

TRANSITIONING TO MAIN FILM

Audio bridges

Crossfade to/from black

GRIMSBY OPENING ANALYSIS

• Immediate Audio bridging
• Columbia (owned by Sony) are the conglomerate of this working title movie because of first look
• Working Title ident is missing
• First shot: No narrative enigma on character + doesn't begin with establishing shot. Narrative enigma on location Starts with big close-up on two characters kissing + shallow field of focus.
• slight high angle
• RnB music (not seen as sophisticated)
• Heteronormative
  
• Thick wide sideburns connote a working-class character + hints at the comedy element.
• Male's head is larger than the females + male is on top. Connotation of who is the central character.
• Potential red filter could hint at porn or the past
• Further exposition through the mise-en-scene (England tattoo on protagonists back). Specific to England's football team, clear reading on the character + tattoo done poorly (clearly working-class). The fact that it is football is important as if it was a posher sport, the exposition on the character would be incorrect.
• Beer can gives further anchorage of working-class
  
• Anchorage on the genre (comedy) 
• Typical Working Title production as it has a poor stereotype of working-class (but works as a comedy)
• The narrative enigma ended with a shock to the audience, as the intimacy was taking place in a store
• Sale (89.99 pounds) - cheap bed (working-class)
• Single mothers taking children out - stereotype that a working-class mother must be single + smoking a cigarette further hints at it + tracksuit (chav)
  
• Potential intertextual reference from This is England 
• 'Columbia Presents presents' - usually denoting distributor 
• fast-paced editing (short takes)
• Proppian archetype hero/protagonist achieved through more close ups

ABOUT A BOY ANALYSIS

• Fade up 
• Audio bridge to first scene 
• Diegetic sound from tv 
• Bird's eye view 
• Tracking shot 
• Protagonist - proppian archetypes 
• Rule of thirds 
• Narrative enigma - not showing protagonist's face 
• Intertextuality with tv show 
• Camera movement and zooming connoting tension 
• Anchored with tense music from tv show 
• Show foreshadowing events - most likely to be Jon Bon Jovi character connotes comedic genre 
• Voice over - inner monologue 
• Non-diegetic sound - guitar strings 
• Red Bull signifies youth, not sophisticated 
• Tea cup with saucer - sophistication 
• Cigarettes - negative connotations - complex preferred reading 
• Campbell's hero's journey/monomyth - all narratives center on journey and progression of protagonist 
• Big book - intelligence, sophistication 
• Lower case bubble font block white - connoting comedic genre 
• Navy blue slacks, gry blue crew neck jumper, blue shirt, grey blue monochromatic mise-en-scene - conservative guy 
• Large collection of books and LPs, electric guitar, speakers - rebellious

HOT FUZZ ANALYSIS

• WT2 - pseudo indie - not indie but low budget
• Conventional first shot being outdoors but not in World's End
• Extreme Long-shot
• Straight cut - no fade in
• Rule of thirds - not concrete however light part is centered
• Giving some exposition
• Verisimilitude - props in mise-en-scene (folders)
• Sound of sirens giving exposition
• Doors opening alongside explosion sound effect (cuts sharply when doors open) - signifier of comedy
• Diegetic sound of doors opening - often exaggerated to create a larger effect
• Rushing character - connotes serious and taking job seriously - possibly central protagonist
• Junior company is represented by 'In association with'
• First cut using disguised cut (effective and something to think about for personal film opening)
• 31 seconds opening long take
• Exposition with close-up to focus on stern, serious expression
• comedic when badge comes out and shows exact same expression
• exaggerated walk links to comedy genre as well
• the long sustained note forces tension
• Camera is also tracking in

BRIDGET JONES' DIARY

• Medium Long-shot
• Central Framing
• rule of thirds - central protagonist
• Black taxis - providing exposition in where it is set (London/South England)
• Doesn't have hat or umbrella - provides exposition on her
• Blonde and female - possible dumb blonde stereotype 
• Tracking her - anchors her as protagonist and voice over
• Ellipses to little southern English village - stereotypically nice (now normative)
• Red telephone box to anchor where it's set