Thursday, 22 January 2009

Film Openings


This week our media group has been looking at film openings and what makes a film opening.


'What is it that makes a great opening sequence? It's a personal thing, of course, but when a film grabs your attention from the opening frame, knocks you out of your seat or even grinds you into it, you tend to remember it fondly, even if the rest of it fails to measure up.'


I have chosen The Life Of David Gale as my first film opening.
I have chosen this opening sequence as it really caught my attention, it intrigued me, I wanted to know what was going to happen throughout the rest of the movie. You see a car driving down a straight road a woman gets out and starts running.


It's an opening which shows you, the last scene. One of which really grabs the audiences attention, casting a sense of mystery upon everybody. It's dramatic, almost breathtaking, and full of action.
A solicitor for a man put on death row is running, this is a long shot, and then becomes a mid shot. It pulls you in because you can see she is panicked.


The location it has been set on is a long dusty road, along fields and farms, a small village, or town's apparent that barely any people live there, so it fairly deserted, it gives a distinguished sense of eeriness. She tries to get a ride from a passerby yet, he drives straight past her. She looks as if she is determined to get somewhere, or perhaps running after someone, yet the viewer does not know which yet.


The lighting is fairly dull, the weather being mild, yet her hair is blowing around as she runs down, as the place is rather dusty you would assume the weather to be humid, almost creating a tense atmosphere for the viewer. The music which is heard makes your adrenaline rush, almost making you panic for her, although you do not realise what is happening. It's a serious tone of music, Ominous Drums/Ominous Pascal it's almost a piece too get your heart racing, it's very much a 'clunky' piece of music, metal drums, and cogs. It's a very eerie piece.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6kw2jaU4lQ

Director- Alan Parker
Release Date- 14th March 2003

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