Guide to Movie Opener Brainstorming & Research

 Hi mediastudiers.

 It's me again.

This week we will be watching videos on past film openings created by other students.

#1. Rise

This film took place on a soccer field. The guy puts his headphones on a walk to the soccer field with his equipment ready for soccer practice. The main character seems to be extremely in tune with his craft, executing each goal into the net. The different camera angles capture the player's skills and performance. Energetic music plays along with the sequence, simulating the upbeat melody the character plays through his headphones. I appreciate the connection made with this technique, allowing the audience to be thrust into the main character's world, experiencing the almost tranquil yet heightening feeling he welcomes during this soccer practice. 

#2. Dear-Lover

Dear Lover uses a voice-over to create a dramatic tone that furthers the narrative of a story about battling for love. The film clearly sought to convey a narrative of reflection, as seen by the voice-over and the movement of scenes between the main character's past and current selves. This is a forbidden love story written by the main character as she reflects on her tribulations; the main character's romance was broken up by her judgmental mother. She goes on to describe how she and her lover would write each other letters for five years. The beginning concludes with a brief introduction and a cliffhanger to pique the audience's interest.

#3. Dare to Thrill

A fun trip with friends is shown in this fast-paced episode, but things take a turn when they uncover something unusual and unpleasant in the trunk. The title Dare to Thrill is printed in an exciting arcade typeface, bringing the viewer to an adventure and action genre. The narrative begins with upbeat music and a dare to "take the key to a man's heart," which turns out to be the keys to a Dodge Charger later on. I've seen this genre before in films where the people on screen are confronted with a series of dares that start off exhilarating and exciting but quickly turn hazardous and nearly illegal.

#4. Always Watching

Always Watching used a variety of camera angles and transitions to enhance the tale while also complementing the tense background music. I feel the performers went above and above with this project, adding nuances to build a schizophrenic persona and reveal that individual's unsettling thoughts and reasoning for wanting to be someone else in the first place. The character's drive to prove himself to the therapist and illustrate how he should have someone else's life since they don't deserve it grows as the tape progresses. The rushed sense is evoked by the short takes and fast transitions, as the spectator wants to learn more about this character.

#5. The Blue Boar

 This performance was able to build a strong story through song and a showcase of European themes regarding probably the Victorian or Edwardian era by using components connected to music and the time genre. I'm not sure if the actor is singing or if it's a background track, but I believe the music and traditions, when combined, create a wonderful introduction that follows a world set in a bygone period with distinct laws and norms.

#6. White Coat

This opening scene, which included a sci-fi genre, was very engaging and comprehensive. The lighting methods employed were exceptional. The film's depiction of brilliant color and slow-motion helps to define it as a type of creation taking place in a laboratory with a variety of equipment and instruments to complete the operation. I loved the camera angles and pictures since they complemented the required lighting on the screen. The opening sequence is placed in low-key lighting, which aids in the aim of providing a mystery tone since most of the action is set in low-key lighting.

#7. Stalker

This sequence proposes the classic stalker cliché, following some of its characteristics, such as the main character becoming more aware that someone is watching her. We accompany a little girl as she gets ready for school on a typical day. She hears camera shots while she gets ready as if someone is photographing her. The section uses close-ups to portray the actor's restless and worried expressions. I appreciated how the project used a variety of camera perspectives to give viewers a feeling of place and make them feel engaged while the actor deals with unwelcome attention. However, I noted that this clip's start includes plainly pre-recorded sound effects, which throws off the clip's balance due to how loud they are.

#8. Nostalgia

This film's opening segment is about a grandmother's longing for her homeland. The camera moves back and forth between shots showing a country's shoreline being painted on a mural. There are various close-ups of personal artifacts and images that depict the grandmother's development, culture, and house. It comes to a close with the camera switching from the grandma to a little girl who is intended to symbolize the grandmother when she was her age.