Narrative theory

Hypodermic needle theory

Uses and gratification theory

Opening Sequence Analysis

Ocean’s 8 Opening Sequence Analysis

Directed by: Gary Ross 

Budget: 70 million USD

Production company: Warner Brothers.

Ocean’s 8 is the film directed by Gary Ross, released in 2018. The movie can be related to the different types of genres such as action, thriller, comedy and a crime film. The movie made around 297.7 million USD by box office. The cast is Sandra Bullock, Griffin Dunne, Deidre Goodwin, Daniella Rabbani, Brian J. Carter, Gemma Forbes, Katherine Hozier-Adams, Freddy J. Davila, Francesca Calo, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna etc. 

Summary of an opening sequence.

Throughout the whole opening sequence we can see an independent, self- confident woman that is not afraid to take the risks. From the very beginning, we see a scene in the prison which suggests that she has already done something illegal, so since then we know her as a criminal that was running a prison and selling drugs through the guards, which makes her look even cooler and more discrete. The audience could understand that the main protagonist might be planning something illegal or unlawful, after she gets out of jail, which gives us a hook and makes us as the audience even more satisfied and exited to find out what is going to happen after. A big variety of conventions is used during the opening scene such as sound, genre, which you could easily spot while watching the sequence, the title of the film on the background of the city, introducing the location to the audience, using different types of camera shots for revealing it even more, furthermore, the main protagonist and her personality is introduced. She is being really confident and fearless, which suggests her experience in doing this kind of job, sometimes she is being a bit sarcastic which helps the audience understand even more about how her personality is. She acts like a powerful woman which breaks stereotypes. The star billing is shown as well on a bright and colorful background, which catches our attention from the beginning. The production company name and logo are shown, and as the company is already well known, we have a rough idea of how the film will be filmed or edited. 

Cinematography 

The opening scene starts with a medium close- up shot of a main character in the prison cell, wearing the orange uniform and talking to a guard, then it is  followed with a medium close-up ,medium long, medium and extreme close up shots of the main protagonist talking to a guard in the prison. After, we see a pan camera movement and a close up shot of the main character. Then, the dolly movement that is following the main protagonist. On the way out of the prison we see a 2-shot  that shows that there is another person present in a dialogue or in the situation. Afterwards, we see the high angle /over the shoulder shot which is followed by a medium close up shot and the extreme close up shot of the watches which have a name of her brother on it, to reveal all the details and give a better understanding of what is happening. Subsequently, we see the 2-shot , which is a medium close-up shot. When she gets out of the prison, we notice a medium shot that shows that she finally got out of the prison. Extreme long shot of the protagonist with the prison in the background, it suggests that she is finally free. It is followed by an establishing bird eye view with a zoom in movement shot that gives a better understanding of the location where everything will be happening (crowded city). After we see a couple of bird eye view shots and truck movement , which are followed by a zoom in movement to spot the main protagonist out of everyone in the crowd, and draw the audience’s attention to the character. Afterwards we lay eyes on the rack focus movement on the actress, which is followed by a dolly movement which stops on a medium shot to show the name of the expensive shop, which suggests that the ‘prisoner’ knows good places in the town where to shop at. The titled wipe edit is used after, which is typical for the adverts. It reveals the big variety of make-up and perfume that they have in the luxurious shop. They used close up shots of expensive makeup products, that suggest the affluence of the main protagonist, which is followed by a pan movement to reveal all the products. Also, we could see the pedestal movement that goes into a close-up shot, followed by a dolly movement, which is following her hand. It shows how she is trying the products on by spraying the perfume on herself. Then, we see the pedestal movement again to show that she is smelling it, testing and trying out. Later we notice an extreme close up shot, which represents her calmness and smoothness. Throughout the whole opening scene the big variety of shots is used.

Editing

The big variety of editing techniques is used throughout the opening scene.  Match on action is used quite often too. Match on action is an editing technique for continuity in which one shot cuts to another shot, portraying an action of the subject in the first shot. This creates the impression of a sense of continuity and takes the attention away from any slight cutting or continuity issues. Additionally we could see the use of 180 degree rule , which is  a cinematography guideline that states that two characters in a scene should maintain the same left/right relationship to one another. When the camera passes over the invisible axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line and the shot becomes what is called a reverse angle. The titled wipe edit is used a couple of times too. It is very typical for the advertisement videos, however here, it is used to reveal the big variety of make-up products

Over the shoulder technique is used as well. It represents how two people are having a conversation. Over the shoulder is a shot in which the camera is placed just behind an "off-screen" actor so that their shoulder is in the frame while you capture the "on-screen" actor's coverage. 

Mise-en scene

A big variety of props and costumes is used during the opening sequence to create  the meaning to the audience. From the very beginning we can see the main character wearing an orange uniform in a prison cell, which straight away suggests that she is a criminal and she has already done something, which creates an enigma and we question ourselves of what might she do after she gets out ,whether she will keep doing criminal stuff or genuinely change. The black, fancy, elegant dress she wears after she gets out of the prison represents how rich, affluent and wealthy she is even after just getting out of the jail. The next location, which is a fancy shop suggests that she has money and she knows good places where to spend it. Props such as make up products and clothes from a famous designer simply proves to us again that everything there is expensive and  the main character is prosperous and rich. The scene in the hotel proves to us again that she’s not only elegant and good-looking, but she’s also very smart and sneaky. This suggests that the main protagonist is used to this kind of situation and knows how to react. She’s being very calm and confident. The luxurious hotel also represents the influence of the character.

Sound

There are two main types of sounds diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Diegetic sound is a noise which has a source on-screen. They are noises which have not been edited in, for example dialogue between characters or  footsteps. Another term for diegetic sound is actual sound. Non-diegetic sound is a noise which does not have a source on-screen, they have been added in, such as music or foley sound.

Throughout the opening sequence the sound is synchronous and the maracas goes with the edit. The music is joyful and lively, it is conventional of the film with intrigue, crime films. Moreover, it increases when the protagonist walks out of the shop as kind of celebrating it. This type of music is making the audience be on her side even though we all know what she is doing is wrong and illegal. The music in this opening sequence plays a huge part in creating the meaning for the audience, it is not too serious, but still creates attention and represents the star power. The diegetic sound such as dialogue (when she was talking to a prison guard) also plays an important role in creating the meaning and giving a hook. The sound is mainly non-diegetic ,such as music throughout the whole opening scene.

Opening Sequence Analysis

Baby driver opening sequence  analysis 

Directed by: Edgar Wright

Budget: 34 million USD

Production company: Working Title Films, Media Rights Capital. 

Baby driver is the film directed by Edgar Wright ,released in 2017. The movies can be classified as action, drama and crime film. The movie made around 226.9 million USD according to box office. The cast is Lily James, Ansel Elgort, Jon Hamm, Eisa Gonzalez, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey, Flea, Sky Ferreira, CJ Jones etc.

Summary of an opening sequence.

The movie is about a Baby, a music-loving orphan also happens to be the prodigiously talented go-to getaway driver for heist mastermind Doc. With the perfect soundtrack picked out for each and every job, Baby ensures Doc's violent, bank-robbing cronies - including Buddy, Bats and Darling - get in and out of Dodge before it's too late. He's not in it for the long haul though, hoping to nail one last job before riding off into the sunset with beautiful diner waitress Debora. Easier said than done. The opening sequence only shows the robbery and the chase scene, and creates the enigma for the audience of what is going to happen next and why were they robbing a bank at the first place. A variety of conventions is also used, such as introducing the protagonist and the other main characters, the location , title of film on a bright colorful background to represent the mood of the film (dynamic, energetic). The star billing and titles of the cast and crew members, the genre of the movie is also revealed (action, drama, crime film). Both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are used and the main thing is that the opening sequence has a hook and creates enigma for the audience.  

Cinematography 

The opening scene is 5:56 minutes long in total, which consists of two parts: the build-up and the actual chase scene.

The build-up is 2:06 minutes long, and includes 44 shots. Here the characters are introduced and we as the audience get a taste of the style that dominates the entire film, namely how action is synchronized with the music. All establishing shots of the four characters sitting in the red Subaru match the drumbeats. After the other three characters enter the bank, we have a 17-shot sequence where Baby dances to the music in his seat. It feels very dynamic and lively because the camera is constantly moving. Even with wide shots, there’s still a little bit of movement involved.

The sequence starts with four panning shots, with the first two pans from right to left and the last two in the opposite direction. 

Then we have the shot of Jon Hamm’s character Buddy lamming the door before the music takes a sudden stop. It serves as a visual cue for the transition to the second part, which has around 179 shots in about three minutes and a half. But like what I’ve mentioned previously, it is definitely more than a series of quick cuts.

Before the start of the chase scene, we know that Baby works with a group of criminals and loves his music, but as a getaway driver, can he drive? Of course, the sequence relied on stunts and CG to a certain extent, but the camera movement also played a role in showing how good Baby is behind the wheel.

Shots of the moving car have some over-the-top camera movement, and it’s justified by offering the audience a viceral viewing experience. But it is always rock solid every time when it cuts to Baby. Halfway through the chase scene, a bunch of police cars are chasing Baby’s Subaru, and here we get a very shaky shot of the two passengers sitting at the back with the lights in the background. These decisions help establishing Baby as a character is in total control of such situation and stay composed because he is good at what he does.

This sequence has nine shots, and it shows Baby drives into an allay way, slows down to avoid a police car before taking a left turn toward the parking lot. It could just be a mundane scene that shows Baby is not only a good driver but also bey resourceful.

Instead, two shots of Jon Bernthal’s character Griff were edited into the sequence and established the conflict between him and Bashot of him staring at Baby before the police car drives away. Although it is not the first time in the scene that we see Griff shows that he is suspicious toward Baby, the first one was tossed into the midst of action shots without much context . The shot here is almost like him questioning Baby’s ability: Can you get us out of this or not? By in less than two seconds. First, we have a quick panning 

Next we have a very subtle shot with Griff and Baby in the same frame, turning their heads in the opposite direction, away from each other. It only lasts for 15 frames and involves simple action, but the seed for the confrontation between the two later on was planted.

Editing 

The editing in Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver is closer to the editing made in modern music videos than a film, the movie is heavily influenced by the soundtrack, every piece of action is built around the chosen song. The editor, edited the movie whilst on set which is different from the common practice of editing a movie in a studio with a full editing deck. Furthermore, Edgar Wright had the vision to make Baby Driver seem like a music video, yet not feel like one. 

Throughout Baby Driver, Wright and Machliss delight in cutting from one scene to the next on the beat of the music. It cuts from a gun deal planning meeting to the group driving in a car on the beat of the music. The music used in this quick-cut creates a feeling of anticipation and adventure, telling the audience that they are going on a journey of discovery and the cut is used to quickly jump to the next action in the story. Edgar Wright has unique editing style and technique where he does close-up quick-cuts of action moments. The match on action technique is used quite often, as well as the 180 degree rule. Although the rule was technically broken a few times, it still looks professionally edited and filmed, and does not look like a jump cut because of the same direction of movement. Wright is known for quick cuts, so the editing here should not be a surprise considering it is a chase scene.

    Mise-en scene 

Mise-en scene plays a huge part in creating the meaning for the audience. The big variety of costumes and props is used. Throughout the opening scene, all the robbers were wearing the same white shirts, ties and black coats on top, which represents the teamwork. The fact that they were wearing mostly black suggests crime and robbery. Also, all the robbers had the same black bandanas, covering their faces and sunglasses which make us think as they want to hide their identities, therefore suggesting something illegal might happen.The presence of  big black bags also makes us realize that they are planning to rob a bank. However the Baby was wearing everyday clothes, as if he was not being a part of the robbery, which represents his innocence and guiltlessness. The lighting, throughout the whole opening scene was mostly soft . The locations were mainly the crowded street and the car, however some of the shots were filmed in the bank too, suggesting that the action was happening during a day in front of all the people. 

Sound 

There are two main types of sounds used during an opening sequence diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Diegetic sound is a noise which has a source on-screen. They are noises which have not been edited in, for example dialogue between characters or  footsteps. Another term for diegetic sound is actual sound, the sound that the protagonist could hear.  Non-diegetic sound is a noise which does not have a source on-screen, they have been added in, such as music or foley sound. 

From the very beginning we can hear diegetic sounds such as footsteps, the sound of doors opening and closing, the sound of cars and crowded street, and music. Very often the music is used as a non-diegetic sound, the sound that has been edited on top of the action, however here, the music is something the character could hear. The whole opening sequence, every piece of action is built around the soundtrack of the chosen song, because the idea was to make the movie seem as a music video. The action was synchronized with  music. The music was very energetic and lively, especially when the Baby was dancing alone in the car. The drumbeats of ‘Bellbottoms’ matched some of the shots 

Opening Sequence Analysis

The Dark Knight Opening Sequence Analysis 

                                         Directed by: Christoper Nolan 

Budget: 180 million USD

Production Company: Warner Brothers

The Dark Knight is a film directed by Christoper Nolan, released in July 2008. The film could be classified as an action , crime thriller, drama and adventure. The dark knight features popular movie stars such as Heath Ledger and Christian Bale.The film made around 1.005 billion USD at box office. The cast is Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Ron Dean etc.

Summary of an opening sequence

The Dark Knight’ is most renowned for its dark vigilance and award winning script, ‘The Dark Knight’ is a successor to the other award winning ‘Batman Begins’, which introduced the entirely new dark theme to the Batman series created in Christopher Nolan’s deep minded head. ‘The Dark Knight’ was voted the best movie of 2008 and the opening scene sets out one of the most economic and effective character introductions ever, that will also explain the main genre, characterisation and narrative in the movie.

The actual basis of the opening scene of ‘The Dark Knight’ is to introduce the movie and a new antagonist character that would kill even his own men. The movie itself establishes itself as a thriller through the opening scene and that many more people will be shot in the movie due to the narrative. Even though we know what will happen at the end of the movie, ‘The Joker’ sets off a very interesting and iconic character that grabs the audience’s attention towards the movie.

The movie is said to be Heath Ledgers epitaph that won him an Oscar after his death and his performance as The Joker really creates a physco feel to the movie, that provides a 

Cinematography

The first shot is an establishing shot of a very large building within a city. The way the camera zooms in one this one particular building merely signifies that this building will have a significant place in the films as it progressively develops. It also helps create meaning for the audience in that it helps them understand the setting of the film. Then there’s a sudden break of the window glass which then proceeds with a cut to a mid shot of a clown holding a weapon, this anchors to the audience that we are seeing this view from an antagonistic perspective, which is run essentially by the clowns.

 The scene then cuts to a mid shot of an anonymous individual who is the only clown that is alone. The way the camera zooms into his mask and also as he is by himself this gives character his own entity. The zoom into the mask lasts around 10 seconds, this really positions the audience to understand the importance of the clown. Indeed some of the audience might decode that this is the actual Joker. 

The next shot is a tracking shot that follows the clowns out the building, the birds eye view shot gives the audience a sense of how driven these clowns are to complete their goal, this also gives hints that they are close by to their target. When the clowns exit the car, the low angled camera tracks along with the anonymous clown, who was originally on his own, this keeps the audience focused on his character and hints that this clown will have importance through the entirety of the film. The drifter is constantly giving clues to the audience with the use of camera shots that leaves the audience anticipated to see how everything will unfold. This is useful as it creates an enigma based around the identity of the character. When inside the bank, the camera continues to track with the action to allow the audience to see different perspectives which persists them to involve themselves in the action. After on elf the main clowns goes over to a woman and an over the shoulder shot is used to exhibit the relentless that the clowns have. 

Mise en scene

The mise-en-scene plays a huge part in creating a meaning for the audience.There is a variety of props and costumes used throughout the opening scene. Throughout the opening scene all the main characters, such as clowns were wearing bright, colorful and dreadful, creepy clown masks, which represent the Joker’s black sense of humour, and create a bipolar feeling of happiness and extreme fear, this keeps the audience confused of what is going to happen after. The characters wear dark clothes to add to the crime genre. Their costumes and props can convey the mystery of the film and the plot.

The Joker ordered the clowns to kill each other after the job is done, which creates the feeling of devotion and allegiance to the Joker, and shows how powerful and capable the character is.This, combined with the location of the bank helps the audience understand more about the narrative. The props used in the opening scene can portray the symbolism of the characters, as the antagonists use guns and weapons, we see that they are symbolic for causing danger and being a threat towards innocent people. Even the bank manager who was very confident and resolute to stand up against them, had to pursue their rules and help them, frightened and shot with a gun. A wide variety of makeup, costumes and clothing is used to develop the characters identities, background and appearance. The robbers in the scene were all wearing ordinary, everyday clothes which helps to draw attention mostly on the gaudy, splashy masks. When the joker took off his mask, we expected a normal human face, but instead we saw a face full of macabre, nightmarish makeup, which explains his psychopathic, certifiable identity. 

By the use of their costumes and props, the audience have a very clear idea of what the characters are like and we get a clear view of their personalities. It is easy for the audience to pick out the antagonists and the protagonists. The use of masks and other costumes help the audience learn about the characters and their relationships with each other. We also see with their body language, how they react with each other. While the use of masks and the guns they hold, the audience can realize the status of the characters, and whether their part in the rest of the film is important.

The action was happening during a day in daylight which suggests the impudence and chutzpah of clowns, as they were robbing a bank in the middle of the day despite people seeing them. The action appeared in the big, crowded, full of people city. The location of the production matches the genre, it being a crime thriller, the streets are typically where most crime and dangerous acts take place. The characters in the bank are a good representation of the fear of the antagonists. The scene of the clowns jumping from one skyscraper to another represents how brave and fearless the clowns are.     

 Sound 

There are two main types of sounds diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Diegetic sound is a noise which has a source on-screen. They are noises which have not been edited in, for example dialogue between characters or  footsteps. Another term for diegetic sound is actual sound. Non-diegetic sound is a noise which does not have a source on-screen, they have been added in, such as music or foley sound.

This opening scene is a tense thriller, therefore the sound is a build up to one event, there is evidence of diegetic and non-diegetic sound in this clip.  After the use of the titles we can hear the non-diegetic music rising and building up, this suggests that the operation is about to begin. We hear the gun shots whilst still seeing them on screen. As the glass breaks the music starts to speed up and gets louder and louder, suggesting a hurry while they are reaching their goal. The music at the beginning of has a fast pace and matches the general tone of the film. This is typical for crime or action genre of movies when the sound is calm then speeds up the pace to represent the buston and the action. When they enter the bank we can hear the diegetic sounds of people screaming, which makes us understand how scared and startled the people are. When the manager of the bank tries to kill them, the music starts getting louder and louder, suggesting the movement and a flurry. As the Joker shoots the manager, the music fades out which makes us feel that the danger is gone.  

Editing

We see a lot of shots from the characters point of view, edited to increase the tension and action. The transitions between each scene are sharp and quick. Also we see eye-line match in this trailer between the two characters in the car, we begin to learn of their relationship with each other and an idea of the plot of the film. The opening sequence uses the standard editing techniques, for example the 180 degree rule, match on  action, eye line match, and cross-cutting. It uses parallel action a lot to show what the different men are doing in the bank, for example one is breaking into the vault and another taking hostages. We also see the sequence of the scenes. The director makes use of ambient light throughout the opening sequence.

Barthes Enigma Code

( The hermeneutic code)

In this opening sequence we don’t really know why they are robbing the bank, they repeatedly talk about the Joker but we don’t know who he is or what his part is in the film. This creates a sense of mystery to the audience. The proairetic code- this builds tension in the opening sequence as we don’t know what is going to happen as we keep getting hints that different members of the group have been told to kill each other. The symbolic code- this shows that there may be a deeper meaning to why the are robbing the bank, rather than just for the money, perhaps what they intend to do with the money. 

Conventions of an opening sequence

The Conventions Of An Opening Sequence 

The purpose of an opening sequence of a film is for it to establish the different conventions. For instance to define the mood and visual character. Sometimes the viewer is introduced entirely to all the specific elements, alternatively the viewer could be exposed to only a few of the elements.These elements include: 

1. Studio/Production Company Logo .
2. Title of film.
3. Star billing/Titles (of the cast and crew).
4. Genre.
5. Theme/s.
6. Protagonist (and/or other main characters).
7. A hook (action/event/chase)
8. Sound (specially non-diegetic music and/or voiceover).
9. Establishes setting/period.
10. Enigma.

The title of the film can be used to give some perspective to the audience. This can be achieved by using, for instance colours. For example, if a title is red or crimson, this gives connotations of blood or strength. This could suggest that it’s going to be a horror film or crime. On the contrary the colours could soft pastels creating an image of peace and satisfaction which could also elude to a romance film.For example Annabelle Creation has a dark red font and a black background indicating horror and violence whereas Clueless which is a romantic comedy has bright greens, blues and purples, this conveys the tone of the film with the bounciness of the colours.

The establishing of characters in an opening sequence is one the key conventions in a film, this is generally where the audience is introduced to the protagonist and main characters. This can signify their importance and where they stand in the film. However in some films the characters are not introduced in the opening sequence and this can therefore challenge the audience and create and element of mystery and confusion that the audience can be drawn to. Sometimes the specific character can help identify the genre, usually come actors are directly associated with a specific genre.Jennifer Anniston was shown in the opening scene of ‘Blended’ thus assisting us to classify that it’s as romantic comedy as Jennifer Aniston is usually affiliated with that genre.

In opening sequences they may also establish the setting or the period in time where the film is set.For example in ‘The Shining’, Jack Torrence agrees to be the caretaker for the winter for the Stanley Hotel, when his wife is given the tour of the hotel, this is a key scene to understanding the setting .The high vaulted ceilings, dark hues of the floors and walls really implement the future events of the film.

There is usually sound in opening sequences.Non-diegetic sound is the most common as this helps in conveying the genre to the audience and they will therefore know what to expect. For example having slow and tense music could signify that it’s a horror movie or thriller. Alternatively some opening sequences use diegetic sound, this is where actors hear the sound too, this can really help the audience have a feel of what  the film is going to later be like. For example in ‘Cheaper by the dozen’ the opening scene has the radio playing music where all the characters can hear creating a cheerful environment. However some films may use a contrapuntal sound, this challenges the audience as it makes it confusing as the music does not connect with the scene, this adds mystery and disorientation to the opening sequence. In ‘The Shining’ the opening is a view pod the serene mountains, however the music over it is tense and concerning creating a contrasting effect between the eyes and ears. Some films may include their theme song this, this can also the set the overall mood, particularly if the theme song belongs to a well-known franchise, this ca used to implement and expectation in the audiences head.For example, the Harry Potter films also have their well known theme tune at the beginning of every film.

The titles of the cast crews are extremely important to attract an audience. It's quite common for opening sequences to feature the names of the director or the main characters. This is particularly helpful if the actors or directors are famous and known, this convention is normally used as a method of attraction for the film. For example, director generally cast certain actors to play as their leading roles, if somebody sees Tim Burton’s name on the screen they can expect a gothic theme to the movie, and most it will most likely contain Johnny Depp who also holds a certain macabre element to him that can be easily identified.

In openings there will always be logos or identification of the production companies, these are normally expected by the audience and in many ways it helps set the expectations for a film. Also if a logo that is not well known shown it can be extremely important as they’re putting out their brand and setting out their expectations for their company.

The theme of a film is what the film is specifically about. The theme can be used in the opening scene to ease the audience and hint to the audience what the narrative will be. However some openings do not have any themes shown, thus challenging the codes and conventions and leading to the audience feeling lost and confused, this also can be used to create enigma. Also this can be used so the viewer can identify the genre. For example in ‘Love Actually’, the opening sequence has a montage of people hugging and kissing their loved one, this can be easily identifiable as the genre, however the themes of friendship and family all appear in the opening sequence.

Enigma codes are used to create to generate question and traction from the very beginning to tempt the audience. This is a key factor for having the audience interested from the start, it keeps a pending question in there heads throughout the movie that they want to know the answer to, therefore they become engrossed into the movie, consequently they engage and keep watching the film. For example in the film ‘Woman In Black’ where the little girls all jump out the edge of the window. This leaves a questions inside the viewers head that keeps them uncertain and curious to know more about why they jumped.

Within the film openings the audience should be able to distinguish what genre the film is due to conveying the key genre conventions to suggest what type of genre the film is. For e.g. within a thriller, the key conventions of the film would be the use of low lighting the use of dark colours like black and grey this connotes to ideas of death and mystery. These factors contribute to the opening but they also include something specific like a death or some element of suspense. A good example of genre conventions being shown in an opening sequence is in ‘Kill Bill’, Uma Thurman is on the floor covered in blood sweating and panting, these are all conventions of the thriller and action genre. Also as she’s laying she’s being wiped with a cloth that says “Bill”, this acts as a clue and hints to the audience that there is something they don’t which is part of the conventions for a crime film. 

 Lastly, one of the most memorable parts of an opening sequence is if it has a hook or event for the audience which entices them, the hook is an event that happens which is the beginning of a clear moment of action or serving as a small sense of what the film is going to be, having enough information to attract the viewer but not enough to give away the mystery of the whole film. A compelling hook isn’t necessarily intentionally hidings thing from the viewer, but more like avoiding synopsis which is quite dull and tedious. However having a good example of having a hook in an opening sequence is in ‘Jaws’, where the girls is swimming peacefully and suddenly she’s being pulled around the water by something that is unknown to the audience, this is an effective hook as it doesn’t merely expose all the information at once and avoids giving a brief summary of what is going to happen in the movie, which is effective to create tension and compel the viewer to keep watching

Roland Barthes enigma code theory 

Hermeneutic code, this basically refers to an element of a plot that isn’t fully explained or justified, which just simply means that the audience is given a sense of mystery and left in a question.The straightforward reasoning to this is to keep the audience engaged and guessing to what might happen which encourages to keep watching, until at the end where everything is revealed and all loose ends are tied and everybody has closure to what has happened.The other one is called the proairetic code, this is just an action that happens due to previous events and leads to more events, it doesn’t create mystery, where as it actually creates tension as it creates anticipation on what is going to happen next. The 2 codes work together and are dependent on each other to develop the story’s tension and keep the audience absorbed into the film.One example of the enigma code being used is in ‘ The birds’ a film from 1963, the visuals are simple but effective, a close up shot of birds briefly flying in the sky, this doesn’t give away too much of the movie, but addresses the title of the film at the same time.The birds are an important part in the film, however the viewer doesn’t not know this but has a vague idea that birds do play some part in the film but don’t necessarily know how, therefore this is an efficient opening as they audience like to know more about these birds and how they play a role the film. 

My opinion on conventions-

The conventions I think are the most important in an opening sequence is the sound because, I feel that sound plays a huge role to understanding the mood or feel of the movie, and if a sound or music is played it becomes quite easy to notice and also very memorable to me. If a song I enjoy plays I will most likely have an already positive option on it and therefore keep that mindset in my head whilst I watch it.the second most important convention is to introduce the protagonists and other main characters, I genuinely enjoy a movie more when I can relate to characters, having them being presented at the start really sets off my opinion for the rest of the film deciding if I’m going to be interested in it or not. Additionally if a movie has a certain actor I can identify what type of genre and themes that will occur throughout the film due to the correlation between the genre and the actor.