Textual analysis of a film opening - Hairspray

The film begins with the low beat of a drum in the background, this immediately sets the scene for the audience and shows them that they are going to be viewing a musical. The beat increases in tempo and volume, building tension. However, when combined with the sounds of the town such as cats and car horns, the effect is not as profound as it was perhaps intended to be. The effect it does have is making the sound more realistic in comparison to the traditional themes of a musical. It also ties in with the birds-eye camera shot of the town, which shows where the film is set. The camera then zooms to an accurate location and briefly displays the town and the people that live there, the costume the people are wearing and the way the buildings are structured hints to the audience which era the film is set in. Through varying shots, the audience are introduced to the main character, as her face comes into view the music becomes loud and upbeat. The character is in bed and dancing under the covers, this gives the audience a clue of the characters bubbly and joyful nature. The title of the film; 'Hairspray' is shown as the character sprays her permed hair, this sets a constant theme throughout the film of keeping up appearances and presents to the audience a confirmation as to the era of the film, the 60s. The song, 'Good Morning Baltimore' begins with an over the shoulder shot which shows the audience the reflection of the character's face in the mirror. This is the first time the audience can see what the protagonist of the film looks like and also once again reflects upon the theme of beauty.

How much of the plot is introduced in the opening 2 minutes?

In the first two minutes the viewer can establish the location and time period which the film is set in. We assume that we will follow the character we are introduced to on her travels and therefore can assume that she is the protagonist of the film. In terms of what will come next for the character we are unclear, but due to the time period we can deduce that themes of racism and discrimination may be present.

How many key characters are there?

In the first two minutes we are not introduced to any characters by name. We see the goings on of the town but can assume that the people in these shots are not key characters as they are not focussed on for any length of time. We are introduced to the main character as she wakes up and goes about her morning routine, she seems to be getting ready for school and from this we can deduce her age and therefore the problems that could arise for her based on this.

Is there much dialogue?

In terms of speech there is absolutely no important conversation. However as this is a musical film, song is used to introduce concepts. In the first two minutes the main character is singing 'Good Morning Baltimore' which introduces the setting of the film. The lack of real dialogue means that the audience are inclined to watch on in order to understand the character we are introduced to and the events which will unfold around her.

Is there much dialogue?

The only dialogue in the first two minutes of Love Actually is the narration. This is effective as it does an excellent job of introducing the plot but does not give too much away at all, which leaves the audience keen to continue watching. Introducing the film's title in the last line is a complete hook as it leaves the audience to quickly develop their own ideas about what the rest of the film will be like.

Textual analysis of a film opening - Love Actually

Love Actually begins with images of people in a clean, white environment. The people are running to greet each other and all look elated to see the other person they are greeting. We do not know who these people are so we cannot yet assume that they are going to be a vital part in the film, we assume that they are not as not enough focus is placed upon them, with shots changing from meeting to meeting every few seconds. After a few seconds, a voiceover can be heard. Here, we are introduced to one of the main characters of the film. However, we do not know this yet as we can only hear his voice and do not therefore recognise him as a character but as a narrator, the only information we do gain is that the man's accent is English and from this it is safe to assume that the film is going to be set in Britain. The voice begins by saying "Whenever I get gloomy about the state of the world, I think of the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport." This not only confirms our preconceptions about the general setting of the film but also the setting that the meetings we are viewing are actually taking place, with the clean, white environment being developed in to an airport terminal. The voiceover continues to say that "love is everywhere" and gives a monologue about love alongside continuous videos of people greeting each other at the terminal. The voiceover finally says that "Love, is, actually all around." This line introduces the film's title 'Love Actually' and from this the audience can now assume that the man who is talking throughout the first two minutes of this sequence is indeed an important character. The images of people then fade out and the film's title is displayed at the bottom of the screen in red and white font. The audience hears christmas music begins to play and from this point the film continues.

How much of the plot is introduced in the opening 2 minutes?

It is clear in the first two minutes from the hugging and kissing of the people that the film is going to be a romance. It is clear from the narrator's accent that the film is British and that the setting is currently Heathrow airport, which indicates that England is the main setting, specifically London, it's recognisable capital city. The narrator talks mainly about love, saying that when the twin towers were hit, none of the messages sent to people from the plane were messages of hate. This suggests that the narrator has a lot to do with love in the story.

How many key characters are there?

In the first two minutes we are not introduced to any characters by name. We see many people in the images of the airport terminal but assume that they are not main characters once the narrator begins talking about how he thinks about Heathrow airport when is is despairing of the world. From this, we understand that we are inside the narrators head, experiencing what he is thinking about and from this we can assume that the narrator will develop into a main character.

Is there much dialogue?

The only dialogue in the first two minutes of Love Actually is the narration. This is effective as it does an excellent job of introducing the plot but does not give too much away at all, which leaves the audience keen to continue watching. Introducing the film's title in the last line is a complete hook as it leaves the audience to quickly develop their own ideas about what the rest of the film will be like.

2 minute opening of a feature film

What do we expect to see in the opening 2 minutes of a feature film?

Usually in the opening of a film we are introduced to one or more of the main characters of the story, they are usually going about their everyday life or involved in something more interesting and exciting that will be developed upon throughout the rest of the film. The opening two minutes of a film also usually introduce the plot of the film and indicate to the viewers which genre the film is. This can be introduced through dialogue, mise-en-scene, music or just the actually events that are taking place i.e. if the film begins with a high speed car chase the viewer can assume that the film will probably be a crime thriller.

Narrative theories applied to a modern version of Cinderella

A narrative is the way in which a story is told. There are several different theories that can be used to explain the way that stories are written.

The first of these is from Todorov. Todorov's theory suggests that all stories begin with an equilibrium (an everyday routine which is balanced and uninterrupted), then there is a disequilibrium (the balance and order is interrupted by something which is usually bad) and finally there is a new equilibrium (the original balance is usually restored to an extent, people may gain things or the bad things will be overcome).
In the modern version of Cinderella that we watched in class, Todorov's theory can be applied. The equilibrium is Cindy working as a full time cleaner in the archaeology unit of a university. Cindy works for a cruel director and is constantly overlooked by students of the university, including two young women of the archaeology department who are constantly competing with each other for the attention of the director and her guests. The disequilibrium occurs when a world renowned archaeologist - Hans M Prince - appeals to the university in an attempt to find a female archaeologist to accompany him on his next research trip to Borneo. Cinderella works hard and applies to the place, Prince is interested in her but when Cindy does not show up to her interview, after being informed by the director that she is forbidden from trying, Prince gives up hope that he will ever take Cindy with him and instead selects one of the other candidates. The new equilibrium at the end of the film occurs as against all odds, Cindy manages to secure herself as Prince's research partner, overcoming the students and director. At the last minute Prince decides to cancel his research and move away with Cindy instead, whom he has since fallen in love with.

The second narrative theory is of Propp's traditional characters and the roles they play within stories.

Protagonist- Cindy Mellor
Antagonist- Director & her two students
Heroine- Hans M Prince
Father- could be Hans M Prince as he offers the reward of the new job
Helper- Fellow cleaner
Donor- Fellow cleaner
Mentor- Fellow cleaner

Ident first attempt

In our last few lessons we have been learning how to create Idents for our film companies using Adobe After Effects. This is my first attempt:

It is my intention to develop this using the same text and animation but adding the sound of a typewriter as each letter appears on the screen, I may also change the name of my company. I am undecided on whether or not I should include an image of a typewriter or not as in my first attempt at finding one, I could not find anything appropriate. However, if I were to include one I would animate it so that it moved in some way in unison with the letters appearing, as if the typewriter was typing the letters onto the screen.

Mockumentary - Plot Synopsis

Fionna, a young girl of 17,she appears just like any other teenager. She goes to school, hangs out with her friends and struggles to get all her work done on time.

 But Fionna isn't as average as she makes out she is, she has an exceptional medical condition which causes her to break out into hysterical laughter every 15 minutes. 

in our documentary we interview Fionna, who tells us that her condition is difficult to live with, but that she wouldn't have it any other way. 

Her teacher, Mr Savage, tells us about how he is struggling to come to terms with teaching a student with such a bizarre condition, and how it affects the learning of Fionna and her fellow students.

 We then interview Fionna's friends who tell us that Fionna's condition is beginning to become difficult to live with, 

that they are struggling to remain empathetic and are tired of having to hear the constant laughing! Finally, we talk to Fionna's parents, who's faces have been hidden to disguise their identity, as they are so embarrassed of their daughter.

 Fiona's mother, while sympathetic, is overpowered by her father who is completely the opposite. 

He is intolerant and frustrated and tells us that they have tried everything to cure Fionna but nothing in the world seems to work. 

This documentary will follow Fionna in her dailyroutine  and try to understand how she lives with her inexplicable condition

Genre Table

Genre	Setting	Characters	Themes
Rom-Com	City	Boy Girl	Love Misfortune
Classic Horror	Haunted House/Forest	Couple Innocent girl/Mean girl Child Chaser/Villain	Fear of the unknown Chase
Zombie Horror	Various	Zombies Hero Girl Guy after girl Accomplices	Chase Apocalyptic Against-all-odds
Comedy	Normally varies throughout	Protagonist Group of friends Girl(s)	Happy Funny Unrest
Sci-Fi	Outer space/Spaceship	Leader/Captain Other life forms Crew Prisoners?	Outer-space
Animation	Various e.g Zoo, Fantasy worlds, Bedroom	Hero Accomplice Conquest Villain(s)	Childhood
College	Campus	Girl/Boy Nerdy people Fraternity/Problem group	Overcoming the odds
Fantasy	Fantasy world	Protagonists/Hero Friend/Helper Girl/Quest Villain	Exploring the surreal/imagination
Crime	City	Villain/Gang Authorities Protagonist Girl??	Suspense Realistic
Western	The outback	Leader Cowboys Bad Guy	Romance Action Adventure